


Guardian

by rhapshie



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Master/Pet, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2018-04-23 00:28:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 132,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4856315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapshie/pseuds/rhapshie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are a lot of stories with turian as pets, but what about drells?</p><p>The first human spectre, Jane Shepard, played a dangerous game with the Shadow Broker that causes her to be waken up by assassins every single night. The guards she hired were incompetent and incapable of protecting her. Therefore, at her friends' suggestions, she bought a drell, a species known for their raw strength that equals the krogan in hope to thwart the hired killers and catch up on her beauty sleep. Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious drell she picked is extensively trained at torturing every single one of his owner and making it seems like it was not his doing, and considers it a sport.</p><p>This story follows through the entirety of ME1-ME3 with deviations, of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Containts graphic description of violence although no real one is inflicted on Shepard. Might seem dark but I'm planning to make it quite fluffy. English is my second language and I have no beta.
> 
> Comments and kudos are encouraged <3

**Jane Shepard**

“I swear to god, if I have to wake up again tonight to counter an assassin, I’m going to rip their fucking beating heart and hang it in front of my door as a warning for others.” Jane Shepard growled as she munched the double patty hamburger she just bought and slurped cola from the drink bottle at the same time.

“And I keep telling you that you should hire a guard!” Tali replied, slightly disturbed by the graphic description that she absolutely _had_ to use. “Thanks to your implants you don’t have to sleep as much as most humans do, but Keelah! You look horrid! Look at those eyebags, as you call them.”

“Tali, it doesn’t help that my guards can only last a couple of weeks—months at most. This is getting ridiculous.” She muttered angrily. “I’m pretty sure that at this point, most would hesitate at taking up the vacancy.”

“This is why you don’t mess with the Shadow Broker, Shepard. I warned you, didn’t I?” Garrus added, nibbling on some sort of meat that is considered delicacy by the turian. “But no, you just have to step on their tiny little toes.”

“They were dealing with the collectors, for god’s sake! You know full well how much hatred I have for them.” She said once more, this time in hushed whisper so others wouldn’t be able to listen.

Tali seemed deep in thought for a moment as she drank through the feeding tube connecting to her suit before she said. “Why don’t you buy a drell?” At the mention of the species, Garrus nodded in agreement.

“A drell? Tali, do you know how _expensive_ they are?” She said, putting extra emphasis on the word ‘expensive’ because it was true. Their raw strength is infamous and is rumoured to stand on equal footing with the krogan. And like them, scientists were rare. Most of them opted to become a mercenary or assassin. There wasn’t many of them left due to lack of resources in their homeland. Finding other settlement also wasn’t easy due to their need for intense sunlight. Most of them were dying from an incurable lung disease called Kepral’s Syndrome.

A few years ago, they landed an attack on a small turian camp in order to claim it but had failed and was enslaved. It was rumoured that there were only a few tens of thousands of them left and they have resigned themselves to extinction.

“I think it’s a good investment.” The turian advised. “Get a trained one and those assassins will think twice before bothering, what do you humans call them again? Beauty sleep?”

“Haven’t had that for the past couple of years, Garrus.” She scoffed, putting the last bite of her hamburger into her mouth. “I know I can afford to buy them, but I don’t know. They can be a double edged sword.”

“I’m pretty sure there are some stores that sell them along with disciplinary collar.” He added, recalling one that he went past last time.

“Oh Garrus, you know I’d rather have a certain blue turian C-sec guarding me.” She purred, voice turning husky as she wiggled her eyebrows, making the male snort.

“Keep it up, Shepard and you’ll end up with more than a guard at your front door.” All three of them laughed. They all knew that Garrus wasn’t interested in humans, or anything that isn’t turian. The amorous exchange between them was always just a joke. “But really, you should consider what Tali said. I don’t want to see you dead. And neither does the burger man. He’d lose one of his best customers.”

“Asshole.” She nudged him on his armoured ribs and laughed once more. “But yeah, I think I might see if I can lay a hand on one. Just gotta be prepared to spend at least 300,000 credits though.” She sighed. As a spectre, she makes a lot per week, but she doesn’t like spending so much at one time.

“Can’t accompany you, Shepard.” Garrus said when he finished his food. “Duty calls.”

The female turned her head to Tali who also shook her head. “Me too. Admiral Koris just called.”

“Well, I guess I gotta go without any dates.” She feigned sadness, one finger moved to wipe her imaginary tear. It was rewarded with friendly chuckles from her companions.

She bid goodbye to her friends before walking along the presidium and using the Avina to ask direction to the nearest pet shop. She then quickly took a cab and drove to the destination. The travel didn’t take long at all, and before she knew it, she had arrived at the most well-known pet shop in Citadel if not the entire galaxy.

“Welcome!” A slender asari greeted her at the door with a big smile. “How may I help you today?”

Shepard looked around the large room for a while before she returned her hospitality. “I’m… looking to buy a drell.” She responded hesitantly.

“A drell?” The shop assistant nodded in recognition when she presented her spectre identification and took her to the nearest elevator and went into the basement. She explained that it was getting significantly harder to obtain a healthy one, or even a living one. Not everyone could handle the said species due to their hostility. It was the reason why drell transactions are restricted to personnel who own some sort of credential to prove that they are capable of defending themselves in case of an attack.

Soon, they arrived in an obviously secure room. She swiped her card and inserted a fingerprint identification to open the metal gate. Inside was a spacious area with numerous cages that showed dangerous blue lightning on the bars that she could only recognise as biotic secured cage. It was specifically designed to resist tempering and will shock anyone who dared to forcibly pry them open.

Shepard could see a limited amount, only as much as thirty drells of various hues trapped inside, their wide black eyes eyes glowering with hatred at the guests.

“So, you have any preference, ma’am?” The asari asked once they were located in the middle of the room. The other female looked around, looking slightly disconcerted at the sight. She didn’t know that they were treated like _animals_ ; it was probably why they were hostile. Because they were being treated not as an intelligent species—they were degraded. The common translators also weren’t capable of translating their language as no one considered them important enough to have conversation with.

Shepard approached cage after cage, greeted with snarls and gibberish that she assumed was swear language or death threat. She considered going home until her eyes met two calm ones. The drell she looked at was not moving or talking. He looked at her with unreadable expression, façade completely composed.

“I would discourage you from getting that one.” The assistant said behind her. “Although there are no evidence that supports it, he was charged for murdering _all_ of his master and mistresses in various slow and painful ways.”

Shepard crouched until her eyes were level with his and he blinked at her with two sets of eyelids, face remained unchanged. His green scales were dull and there were black spots all over his body. He was mostly naked, only wrapped in short leather pants that covered his privates.

“He is ill.” She continued, and Shepard immediately knew that it was Kepral’s Syndrome. “It was mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to live any more than two years.”

It didn’t make her interest waver, however. She smiled at the drell and nodded lightly. “How much?” She asked.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, you might have missed what I said. He is a cold-blooded murderer and is—“

“How much.” She asked once more as she drowned in those wide eyes of his, revelling in their gorgeousness.

“We are not selling him. We do not take responsibility for any harm that he might ca—“

“How. Much.” She said once more, this time her glowing red eyes glaring at the poor asari who immediately tensed and activated her omnitool to negotiate with her boss.

“She said you can take it for free, Commander, said that you are doing her a favour.”

At that, she turned her attention back to the drell who was still staring at her and grinned. She had gotten a drell for _free_. Not a single credit. The asari reluctantly deactivated the biotic cage and the creature slowly stepped outside and stood next to Shepard with his hands locked on his back, bowing slightly at recognition.

 _‘He looks hospitable.’_ She thought, but decided to not let her guard down.

Both of them walked into the elevator and to the front desk where she received curious and surprised eyes from other customers at the sight of a living drell walking behind her. The asari showed her a datapad which she read in great detail.

 _‘No responsibility taken from any harm that might be caused. Refund not accepted. In case of owner death, drell is collected by extraction team.’_ Nothing she was concerned about _,_ she said in her head. After she finished, she signed the agreement.

“Ma’am, the drell is free of charge, but disciplinary collar is not included.” The assistant said once she scanned the form and filed it in her omnitool before neatly placing the datapad into the shelf. “We have a range of them, this one is—“

“No need.” Shepard said, missing the surprised look that the green drell gave her. “A drell can’t harm commander fucking Shepard. I’ll fucking rip his arm off if he dares to even touch me.” She said sharply and heard the light rumble from beside her. When she turned to look at him, the corner of his lips was tugged upwards to form a slight smirk. “Laughing at me already huh, big boy?” She chuckled. “Might need some clothes though.”

“O-of couse.” The asari nodded tentatively, obviously feeling overwhelmed at the confidence that she showed. She presented some leather and she decided to pick the one that looked like mould to his body shape and was bare at the chest. She heard that it helps with Kepral’s Syndrome since it prevents moisture build up.

After paying and finalising the transaction, she grinned at the fully clothed drell and pat him on the shoulder. “Let’s go.” She said, _totally_ not looking at those perfect ass of his. She decided that she’d have more time to ogle them back at the apartment.

///

**Thane Krios**

Thane had lost track of time. He wasn’t sure how long he had spent in the biotic cage, meditating on the sweeter time of his life although he hardly ever had any anymore. His eidetic memory could only reach as far as when he was three years old, just a few years before he was trained by the hanar to become an assassin. He was quite young when he married her deceased wife and was pried away from their newborn son by a turian.

However, the memory was becoming stale as time went on. He spent more time wallowing over the messy kills he had committed towards his owners, how he could hear every crack of their bones, every screams and cries of mercy, every gurgle of blood in their throat and every splutter of it on his leather. He would sit and try to come up with other ways to make them suffer _more._ He went through every unnecessary cuts that quickened their bleeding and death and vowed to rectify it for the next owner. He kept track of the time they had remained alive. Some hours, a day at most before they bleed to death. He would wash himself and dispose of any evidence before moving into a cage, pretending like he saw and heard absolutely nothing.

It had been a couple of years since his last kill and he was getting restless. He had thought of a thousand different ways and angles to maximise pain yet no one to experiment it on. All he could hear all day was background conversation of other drell, mostly talking about their hatred for every other species and at times, escape plans. But none of them had been stupid enough to try to force their way out of biotic fuelled bars.

And then it happened. The firm metal gate creaked open, revealing an asari and a human. He needed to make her develop an interest for him so he could get out of the wretched cage. That was why when every other drell was screaming and snarling, he stayed quiet, eyes locked on hers. It always worked. And it did. She had crouched and looked back at him, eyes shining with enthusiasm.

He was momentarily concerned when the asari explained his story but was relieved when the female didn’t seem to waver. She insisted in purchasing him even when she explained that he was not for sale.

 _‘Human, easy to kill. One snap on the neck.'_ He mulled silently as he stood next to her. _'Throat is extremely fragile. Cut off their air supply and they won’t even be able to scream. Their species practically begs to be murdered. Not durable. Can’t torture them long enough to be satisfied.’_ He thought. ‘ _I need to experiment with the methods I came up with.’_ Scanning his surrounding constantly, he found an air vent that he could use as an escape route and a backdoor he could easily smash through.

Thane was still deep in thought, trying to think of ways to prolong her life when the woman was reading the agreement written on the datapad.

 _‘Cutting their fingers seem to work. Cauterizing can be really effective but will not inflict as much pain. Taking away their sight is simple, but I want them to be able to see what I’m about to do to them.’_ He thought once more as she signed on the datapad and handing it back to the shop assistant.

“No need.”

Thane eyed her in surprise at the rejection of disciplinary collar, as did the asari. He wasn’t sure if she was just being incredibly unintelligent or was trying to establish trust.

“A drell can’t harm commander fucking Shepard. I’ll fucking rip his arm off if he dares to even touch me.”

 _‘Interesting.’_ He laughed inside his head, trying to conceal the smirk forming on his lips. A rumble escaped from his throat and that gained her attention. She grinned at him and attempted a joke, which was not uncommon from his previous encounters with his old masters. They wanted to form mutual trust and giving him a false sense of security before abusing him back at their homes. _‘Nice try, human.’_ He chuckled smugly, silently as he put on the leather she purchased.

He wasn’t sure whether it was intentional or not that she bad bought the particular one designed for Kepral’s Syndrome sufferers, but the way he had caught her looking at his rear made him think that she only bought him for sexual purposes, which was quite common.

 _‘We’ll see soon enough what your true intentions are.’_ He thought as she led him to the parked skycar.


	2. Chapter 2

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard ran ahead of the drell and turned around to snap a quick picture of him using her omnitool to show it off to Tali and Garrus. He flinched at the sudden snapping noise it made but otherwise remained calm with his hands still tied on his back.

 **JS [1321]:** [Attachment sent]  
**JS [1321]:** Check him out!  
**TZ [1321]:** You actually went and got one? How much?  
**TZ [1322]:** He looks a bit pale doesn’t he?  
**JS [1322]:** Got him for free  
**TZ [1322]:** What  
**TZ [1322]:** ?  
**JS [1323]:** Probably because I’m so good looking the boss decided to give it as an offering for the goddess before her.  
**TZ [1323]:** Shepard no  
**JS [1324]:** Shepard YES  
**TZ [1324]:** Keelah

 **JS [1321]:** [Attachment sent]  
**GV [1323]:** Nice  
**JS [1323]:** Handsome huh  
**GV [1323]:** I know I am  
**GV [1324]:** no need to state the obvious, Shep  
**JS [1325]:** Asshole  
**GV [1325]:** How much  
**JS [1326]:** probably as much as I need to spend to get you in bed with me  
**JS [1326]:** 0 credit  
**GV [1326]:** Ouch  
**GV [1326]:** Wait, you’re kidding me!  
**JS [1327]:** Somehow I think that you’re just insulted because I said you’re a freebie and not because you were surprised that I got the drell at the cost of nothing.  
**GV [1327]** : That’s exactly what it was. You know me too well.

Shepard grinned at Garrus’s reaction and decided to disconnect so she could focus on driving. Once seated properly, the car seamlessly took flight.

“So, hm. I guess I need to explain my motive.” She muttered while paying attention to her surroundings. The drell did nothing to regard her other than a simple nod. “People are trying to kill me and I want you to let me get some fucking _sleep_.” She blurted, showing the frustration behind the sentence. “I heard you killed some of your previous masters? Great. Use that anger to capture my assassins if you want and do whatever the hell you want with them and we’ll have no problem. Though if you wanna be messy, don’t get the blood on my carpet, okay?”

He simply nodded.

“Shit, I forgot to unlock your cuffs, huh?” Shepard said, shifting her attention from the road to her omnitool and in an instant the tech-generated handcuff disappeared and Thane stretched his arms and placed them neatly on his lap, showing that he wasn’t about to do anything suspicious. “Name?”

He glanced at her but didn’t say a thing.

“What, don’t tell me they got your tongue?” She chuckled, but went quiet when he remained silent. “Alright, just talk to me. I won’t hurt you, I swear.”

“Thane.” He said simply, voice was flavoured with huskiness that sent shiver down Shepard’s spine right away.

 _‘That voice though.’_ she bit her lips. “Righty-o, Thane. Hm. I’m Jane Shepard.”

“Shepard.” He said once more, voice strong and confident. She wasn’t sure if he only said names because he knew that her translator wouldn’t have drell language installed or it was because he simply didn’t wish to waste his breath interacting with her. Either way, it was near impossible to read his expression.

“Alright, you eat levo, right? That means you’ll be able to eat the same food as human. Right?” She turned her head to watch him bob his head once in confirmation. “Great. The burgers are mine, though, so you leave those alone.” At the strange look he gave her, she grinned. “I’m a growing girl. Need lots of meat.”

Once they arrived at her apartment, she led him out of her car and towards the small unit she owned. Anderson had offered his humongous one which she gently refused. Cleaning that place would be such torture, and it wasn’t as if she spends most of her day inside anyway. The one that she bought was compact with only a small kitchen that connects with the living room and a work desk inside her bedroom. It has one bathroom. Everything she needed. It also didn’t leave much space for assassins to lurk around.

“Make yourself at home. If you’re hungry, just open the fridge.” She said, throwing her key towards the sofa before sitting on her chair, facing her desk. Her terminal was already flashing due to the amount of messages that overloaded her inbox. She immediately began reading them, not without an annoyed groan, though.

**Thane Krios**

Thane trailed after the woman who called herself Shepard silently, footsteps so light that only hers were audible. He was still gauging her attitude when suddenly he was put on alert. She started picking up her pace. His fingers twitched at reflex and almost charged after her, almost wanting to eliminate her. True that his hands were sealed, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t break her neck using his thighs. His thought was stopped short when she turned around and clicked her omnitool with a snap.

‘ _A picture?_ ’ He whispered to himself, slightly amused as she typed away on the device and grinning for a few minutes before resuming her march towards the car. He followed after her and sat quietly on the front seat, arms uncomfortably placed on the backrest.

“I heard you killed some of your previous masters? Great. Use that anger to capture my assassins if you want and do whatever the hell you want with them and we’ll have no problem. Though if you wanna be messy, don’t get the blood on my carpet, okay?”

Thane was taken aback by the frankness and spontaneity displayed by his new mistress. He thought the last sentence was a joke, but after having one good look at her bitter expression, he decided that she really wasn’t joking. Considering from the assassins that she mentioned were coming after her, he concluded that she was no normal human—a soldier? It was highly probable based on her body shape and muscular arm. And the way she had proudly proclaimed her name back at the store implied that she held great significance. But what had troubled him was that her easy acceptance over the fact that he had murdered his previous owners in cold blood. Maybe she thought it was all a bluff, or it could be that she was that confident in her skill. Either way, he knew that he needed to spend more time around her to determine what kind of person she was.

Then she had asked for his name as she casually unlocked his tech-cuffs, which was quite unusual, since his ex-owners had always addressed him as ‘drell’ and would keep him bound until they arrived at their residence.

“Thane.” He decided to say after a prolonged silence and one encouragement later. Was it such a good idea to provide her with a real name? He wasn’t so sure. But he quickly dismissed that thought, as he remembered that he wouldn’t let her live any more than a month or two.

He sensed her nerves, although it quickly dissipated when she introduced herself as Jane Shepard. The name sounded so very familiar. He had heard of it from her previous owners, although as far as he was concerned, she was nothing more than a mere soldier in a ship she did not even own.

She continued to talk, this time regarding food. It had been so long since he had anything that tasted remotely good. By now, his tongue must have gone numb due to the bland flavour of food he ate on a daily basis. Perhaps that would be rectified by this mistress? But he quickly shook off the hopeful thought. There were little, if any, who valued drell with respect. Although she did seem quite hospitable and nonchalant in her treatment, he assured himself that it would change soon.

As soon as they arrived in the apartment, his eyes immediately observed for any possible blind spot or escape route quickly so he wouldn’t come by as suspicious. He’d meditate over it when he had a chance later.

Shepard then commanded, no, _told_ him to relax and eat if he’d like, which made him narrowed his eyes. He sat on the ground close to her, just midway between her side and back, and continued to glance at the figure, trying to detect any unusual movement. But she seemed too deep into her work to notice, occasionally muttering profanity and scratching her head.

Thane then got to his feet silently and ventured around the small space. He looked at the kitchen—the food cabinets seemed to be large enough to accommodate a grown man if he was to hold his knees close to his chest. Quietly, he opened the small doors one by one to see if any of them were empty and could be used as a hiding spot. But most of them were full, so he decided to stop. His next stop was the dark laundry area with no visible blind spots except behind the door, so he moved on to the bathroom and turned on the light. Sounds of fan whirring became audible.

 _‘Ventilation’_ , Thane thought and looked to the ceiling. It might be too small for him to squeeze through, though. _‘My best bet is through the window, I suppose.’_ He contemplated, mindlessly walking back into the living room and peered through the window. He slid it open and looked down a—

“Looking for an escape route?”

His head immediately snapped backwards and he hopped to the side, hands balled tightly into fists in reflex and he got into a battle posture. He was faced with a human who lifted both of her hands defensively but calm nonetheless. It was when he noticed that he had forgotten all about her. He barely ever had any moment of solace for himself once bought, and he had neglected to consider her presence.

He quickly withdrew his hands and bowed his head as a gesture of submission and apology.

“Come here, Thane.” She said as she threw herself on the sofa and petting the spot next to her. “I’ve installed a drell translator on my omnitool, so you can speak.” Shepard casually said as he walked towards her and sat on the floor, looking up at her.

He was still skeptical at the politeness that she was displaying. But he could differentiate between a lie and the truth—she seemed to be hanging on the latter, which to be honest, quite surprised him. He was still quiet despite what she just told him.

“Look, let’s come to an understanding, alright?” She took a deep breath. “I’m not here to make you my slave. I just want someone who I can trust to guard me while I’m asleep. Other than that, you could start backflipping in the living room and I don’t give a rat’s ass. As long as you don’t break my stuff, we’re cool.”

Suspicious. It was _too_ suspicious, almost too good to be true. He definitely had never received such a treatment before, and he wasn’t sure what to do or say. The look on his face must’ve been especially odd that she waved her hand in front of him, trying to get his attention.

“Hello? You heard me?” She interrupted his train of thought.

The drell did nothing but nod once more and looked up at her, who returned the glance with a smile.

**Jane Shepard**

_‘Another distress signal, technology salvaging needed, shipment requests…’_ She pinched the bridge of her nose as she sorted through her inbox, but was stopped short by what was going on around her.

The drell had been pacing around the apartment for the past few hours and it was distracting her. She thought he would come back with a knife or something, and decided to disrupt him when he looked outside the window. He looked genuinely surprised, and she didn’t think that it would ever be possible, since he looked quite attentive.

“Right. Now that’s out of the way, why don’t we eat?” Shepard slapped her knees and got up with his eyes following her every move. “What do you eat, Thane?” She asked, opening the fridge.

It took the drell a while before he parted his lips and whispered. “Mostly fruits and vegetables, mistress.”

At that, Shepard almost fell over laughing and she had to clutch her sides and tears started to form in her eyes due to the hysterical laughter like she’s never had before. She was sure that Thane was looking at her weirdly.

“Mistress, holy shit,” She giggled before bursting once more and had to hold on to the side wall. “Oh god, what would Garrus say… mistress! Christ, Thane, don’t give me that mistress bullshit. Especially not in front of my friends. You’ll get the exact same reaction.”

“I… apologise.” He muttered in confusion and blinked rapidly, trying to see where he went wrong. “What shall I call you?”

“Shepard is okay. Or Jane. Or commander—actually scratch that. Whatever. Anything _but_ mistress.”

“As you wish… Shepard.” His voice boomed through her translator, making her shiver. It really had… such a husky and seductive quality to it. She began to wonder if he was aware of what effect it had on her. Whatever the answer was, she desperately _wanted_ to make him speak more.

“Right, uh.” She stammered, and she could’ve sworn she saw him smirking but quickly trashed that sort of wishful thinking. “Food. Right. Can you… cook? I don’t trust myself. I think I hurt myself with a knife in the kitchen more than bullet wounds during battle.

“I’m sure you could erect a barrier…” He replied softly, drawing a chuckle from her before coughing into his hand. “I apologise. I was not asked to speak, yet I did.”

“No, oh god, Thane.” She giggled. “Right, I could _totally_ use my biotic to create a barrier when I’m cooking. Phew! Priorities.” She looked over her shoulder to the fridge again and dumped leftover vegetables and minced meat on the kitchen bench. The drell had once more folded his hands on his back and was standing straight.

She might not notice it before but damn, she could see how broad those shoulders were, and had it not been for his lack of nourishment, she was sure that his chest would be equally muscular as well. He must have caught her staring as he cocked one of his eye ridges.

“Is something the matter, mis—“ He cleared his throat. “Shepard?”

“Huh? Oh. Nothing. I was just, y’know…” She stuttered. “Thinking.” Right! Food. She grabbed the cabbage and showed it to him. “Uh, you like cabbage? Broccoli? I don’t know, caviar?”

Thane looked down, seemingly deep in thought for a moment before he shifted his attention back at her. “I will eat whatever you give me, mistress.”

“ _Again_?” She huffed at the formality and turned around to approach him. She could see him flinching slightly but ultimately rooted to the ground.

“I apologise.” He said softly, voice almost shaking although he quickly regained his composure. “I feel more at ease when I address my owners ‘master’ or ‘mistress’.”

“Nothing I say can convince you to drop it, huh?” She curled her nose and crossed her arms, causing him to step back and his black eyes wavering, looking anywhere _but_ at her. “Thane, you okay?” She asked, dropping her arms back to her sides and she could see him relaxing.

 _‘Was it my body language?’_ She instantly deduced. _‘Oh, poor thing.’_ She bit her lips at the thought—he must have associated that gesture with anger and disappointment, something that his old owners would do before they… before they…

She shook her head to put such image away. “Thane, I’m not going to beat you.”

“I apologise, mistress.” He muttered, still refusing to look at her.

“Thane.” She said as she extended her hands to pat him on the shoulder, only for him to take one more step back and avoiding the contact. “Thane, look, I am _not_ going to hurt you. Please stop that.”

“I… apologise.” He said once more. “I did not mean to offend you, mistress.” He quickly dropped to one knee and placed his right hand on it, head bowed deep.

“No, no!” She raised her voice, and realised that it was a mistake as she could see him dropping his head even further down. She crouched in front of him and touched his shoulder gently. “Please. It breaks my heart to see you acting this way. _No one_ should have this kind of reaction. Stand up please, Thane.”

His eyes made contact with hers though he quickly shifted them away and nodded. She smiled at him rather somberly before getting back to her feet, followed by him.

“Come on, help me cook.”

**Thane Krios**

Thane had been quite overwhelmed by the amount of respect he received. By now, he usually would’ve been beaten up or sent into a cage, forced to eat raw or even rotten vegetables and fruits. Sometimes his ex-owners would test the disciplinary collar, sending electric shocks all over him, leaving him a panting mess on the ground, body paralysed completely in pain. But not now.

She had attempted friendly, light-hearted conversations with him and had offered to _cook_ for him. He was never allowed to go anywhere near the kitchen except the foot of dining table where he had to eat off a bowl on the ground. She acted like he was an equal, and it terrified him that he cracked a joke in front of her, rewarding him with a genuine laughter that almost sounded musical. 

His owner had insisted that he calls her by the name and not ‘mistress’, but Thane couldn’t bring himself to sound disrespectful, since none of his past owners had ever bothered installing translators. Some of them liked him as a silent servant, carrying their orders and sometimes warming their beds. He wanted to build her trust by showing utmost regard and submissiveness. He would need it later on when she finally shows her fangs. He would need her to let her guard down before he strikes for the kill. She had even shown him signs of discomfort through the amount of time she spent staring at him and fidgeting when she noticed how long she had done that. It brought a thin smirk to his face.

And he thought that he had upset her when he instead urged to call her ‘mistress’. Her posture quickly changed.

“Nothing I say can convince you to drop it, huh?”

_Her arms crossed, brows knitted together. The clock ticked on painfully loudly. “You good for nothing animal!” Her voice strident and commanding, eyes burning with indignation as she lashed her biotic at me. “No wonder your species is dying, you can’t even understand a simple order!” She bellowed, her foot made contact with my gut. It was excruciating, my stomach churned and I gagged. Once more, she stepped on my chest—_

“Thane, I’m not going to beat you.”

_—putting pressure on it until I couldn’t breathe. My lungs burned, my visions blurring. I gasped desperately for oxygen as she continuously treaded me. The sound of laughter around me. “Serves him right.”, “Disgusting animal.” Mistress giggled along with them as she let go of me. I took a deep breath, fiercely trying to catch my breath but noticed how she hovered her fingers on her omnitool, ready to dish out my punishment—_

“I apologise, mistress.”

_I said, but was denied when I felt shock all over my body. It burned, and I screamed in agony, hands reaching out to the bright blue sky. “That’s it, keep screaming!” She laughed. Her voice jarring and cutting—_

“Thane, look, I am _not_ going to hurt you. Please stop that.”

_The electricity did not stop. It boiled my blood, every inch of my skin trembled at the aftershock, I feared that my heart would give out. I could barely feel it thumping. Then everything went dark._

She was furious. He had displeased her. Her voice suddenly was kicked up a tone, and he felt himself shrinking. He could do nothing but bow deeper, hoping that she would not punish and beat him up, breaking his bones and leaving him on the floor. He braced himself when he felt her crouching with him, but only to place her hand tenderly on his shoulder.

It felt surreal.

“Please. It breaks my heart to see you acting this way. _No one_ should have this kind of reaction. Stand up please, Thane.”

She was gentle, and almost celestial in tone. Calm and comforting just like a wave in the ocean where the sand was pure and untouched. She was his salvation. It was as if Arashu Herself had sent him an angel to save him from darkness. He trembled at the contact—he was unworthy. He had killed and tortured many, yet was graced by the presence of the mistress who called herself Jane Shepard.

She had asked him to cook with her, and he complied, not wanting to upset her in any way, shape or form. However, as soon as his hand clutched tightly around the grip of the knife, everything went red.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jane Shepard**

It all happened in a blur. One second she was chopping onion and the next she was jumping and running around the kitchen trying to dodge the attempted assault by her most recent purchase. She had just handed him a knife to get him to help her dicing the tomatoes, but what she got was completely unexpected.

She wasn’t entirely certain what she had done to anger the drell so much that he tried to decapitate her within the first few hours. She could not think of any plausible reason, not while she had to constantly yelp and avoiding the pointy bit. The pointy bit, as Shepard described, that could tear her skin.

It was getting particularly difficult to manuever in such a small space, and it did not help that Thane was extremely agile in his movement and sharp in his observation. He might not have pierced her yet, but he had come close more times than she was comfortable with. He had the speed of a cat and eyes of an eagle.

“Thane, what the fuck!” She yelled out loud as she ducked under the swinging knife. He wasn’t letting her catch her breath as he continuously cornered her, his eyes cold and distant as he jabbed the weapon forward and dived it into a drawer door before yanking it back out and leaped towards Shepard. “Stop it!”

 _‘God fucking dammit, I shouldn’t have taken any chances and just buy the collar when I had the chance!’_ She cursed herself at the poor decision she made. The assistant had warned her about the danger that this particular drell possessed but had chosen to brush it off due to her overconfidence. If she died there, it would all be her own damn dault.

Thane was fast, probably the quickest one she had ever fought or sparred with. He did not waste a single breath and relentlessly kept advancing, forcing his opponent into a corner hence gaining significant advantage. It was especially difficult to discriminate between a feint and an actual attempt. So far, Shepard had been lucky, but she knew that if they kept going at the pace, she would be at a massive disadvantage.

She started to let biotic run through her and unleashed her Heavy Throw, only to have him rolling to the side and she ended up with a destroyed cabinet and shattered jars

He feigned an attack with the knife and sidestepped to Shepard’s blind side to land a blow on her gut that threw her to the floor, leaving her gagging and vision spinning. However, she did not have time to regain her bearing as he pinned her down and pulled his arms up with the weapon clutched tightly, then he brought it down, aiming for her throat.

There was a direct contact, then only silence.

**Thane Krios**

_Stars refused to show and the moon shied away, the breeze cold against my skin. It is eerily silent, only my faint heartbeat is audible. Master is fast asleep, leaving me in the cage outside of the house. Sharp stinging sensation on my thigh where an untreated open wound starts to fester. The itch is unbearable but scratching will infect it._

_‘Today is the day.’ I say to myself, the cold wind seems to agree as my trembling hands unlock the cage. Master underestimated me. It will all be over soon. Stretched legs, a deep breath that never seems to be enough. Smell of dried blood strong. My lungs are giving out but I will not._

_The door creaks deafeningly but master is a sound sleeper and I am certain that it will not wake him up. A chance I still will not take. Direct approach is foolish and reckless. The room is gloom and without sound, just like my footsteps. I fold my hands and close my eyes. "_ _Amonkira lord of hunters, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift, and should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness."_

_The drell has long abandoned the beliefs and turned their back on the gods. For me, it is the only reason I am still myself, sane and intact. They grant me strength when I can no longer find it. They give me comfort when there is none to be found. The fact that I am still able to draw breath is because I am here for a purpose. As long as my lungs could take me, I shall persevere._

_Whiskey and alcohol strong in the air. The room is warm and I feel my skin absorbing the heat. Master is asleep, loud snores with an asari in bed. Dose of sleeping pill on the nightstand and I crush it, letting her inhale it. She is innocent. I will not hurt her any more than necessary._

_I tower the two, waiting for the dose to set in her blood. Once certain that she is deep in her slumber, I move her from master and pull him up on my shoulder. Batarian. Deep sleeper. He remains unmoving like a corpse. I haul him and place him inside the soundproof room he uses to torture me. I secure him in place and prepare myself._

_The first hit to the gut is the most satisfying._

_His eyes flutter open and he glares at me, then notices that he is bound. The chain rattles in his touch but unrelenting. "Let me go, drell! I will have you captured for this!" His voice is shaking, trembling with fear. He understands what I am going to do with him._

_I unleash my biotic toward his stomach and he gagged, he gurgled, spitting blood. There is no need for words. I have seen and felt enough. "I will kill you!" He insists on yelling but I will not falter. There is no place for a man like him in the galaxy, nor the shore._

_I numb my senses as I drive a blade through his kneecap._

Suddenly, Thane's eyes opened wide and he looked at the sight. Shepard was underneath him, sweat forming on her brow and her chest heavingup and down. He had attacked her. He was rendered speechless at the pain in her eyes, and the hatred, the disappointment, the regret. It was when he noticed he had almost taken her life.

The knife in his hands drove through her palm in mid-air just above her neck. It grazed it slightly and he quickly moved back, stumbling.

"M-mistress..." The drell muttered, hoping that it was all just a hallucination or a bad dream. "I am... I..." He stammered, for the first time feeling guilt in his stomach. She was an innocent. She had been kind towards him where others would not have a second thought at hurting him.

She grabbed the handle of the knife with her left hand and pulled it out, hissing in pain. Blood spluttered on the floor and on her clothes, dripping down from her right palm where she attempted to stop the weapon.

Thane quickly scrambled to her side, wanting to beg for her forgiveness, but was cut short when she brushed him off.

"Leave, Thane." She said, voice cold and bitter.

"Mistress, I am so—"

"LEAVE!" She yelled, coming to a sitting position and shoved him away. Walking to the nearest drawer to grab a medigel, she cursed under her breath so softly Thane was unable to catch it. Even when she let out a relieved sigh as a sign that the gel was doing its job, he remained on the floor, unsure of what to do.

Part of him didn’t want to disobey orders but the other desperately wanted to apologise. For the first time in a long while, he found himself unable to decide what to make of the situation. He still wanted to believe that he hadn’t been seeing her true face to supress the clenching sensation in his stomach. Thane considered himself rather good at reading people, yet she had yet to show intense animosity despite the fact that he had just attempted to murder her.

He slowly stood up and ever so silently approached Shepard, who already resumed cooking with no word. When he reached her, he dropped to his knees and held her legs, nuzzling against the backside of her knees.

He let out a soft trill. “I am sorry, mistress.” He whispered.

“Thane, let go.” She firmly responded, slightly tugging her foot to emphasise her wish.

“Mistress...” He insisted as he clung even tighter, letting out a submissive purr.From his experience, his owners always loved him begging like that, they had said that it made him more animal. They didn’t voice it out loud but their mood would heighten.

“Thane, that is an order.” She continued. “Go.”

“Where will I go, mistress?” He questioned, still refusing to release his grip. Why wasn’t it working? If anything, she sounded even more upset than she already was. There was an uncomfortable feeling dawning on him. What if she wanted to throw him away? He was given to her free of charge, and he didn’t think that she wouldhave any problem losing something she did not pay for.

“Just sit in the living room until I’m done cooking. Do not move without my permission.” She said, still refusing to look at him. Thane withdrew at last and he headed for the mentioned area, sitting on the floor.He clasped his hands together and tried to meditate and recall what just happened.

He had gone full power against her yet she was able to defend herself. He went over her moves that were rather frantic, possibly an attempt at trying to not knock everything over and the fact that her hand-to-hand combat skill was lacking in comparison to his. However, she compensates for it with her biotic that would have flattened him on the wall if it had connected.

She was, by no mean, weak. Compared to other humans he had seen, she was possibly one of the handful who managed to impress him. It sparked his interest. He badly wanted to learn more about her, and he hoped that she would give him a chance. However if things do go south and she was just one of those people who holds no regard for drells, he knew he would have a difficult time bringing her down. He would need to lower her defenses to finish her in one strike. If the attempt was to fail he wasn’t sure how likely he would be able to take her down in an actual one-on-one.

He wasn’t sure how long he spent mulling over tactics but the next thing he noticed was an awfully quiet room without any sign of activity.

“Mistress?” He stood and looked around but finding no one. All lights except the ones in the living room were turned off, and toilet was wide open. He wasn’t certain when she had left, but it was quite worrisome that he had let his guard down twice in a row, enough for her presence to slip by unnoticed.

The knife on the kitchen floor had been washed and floor cleaned, but he could still vividly picture what had happened. He silently feared what her absence would mean for him. There were countless of possibilities in his head but they soon disappeared as soon as he saw a bowl full of vegetable stir fry on the coffee table, still steaming. He wasn’t sure if it was placed specifically for him by Shepard or maybe it was just a temptation. She had not given him any permission to eat—maybe if he decided to and she finds out, she would beat him and kick him.

Thane shuddered at the thought and opted to sit still, staring at the container. His mouth started to water at the smell and he had to bite his lips in order to suppress a rumble of want. Then he saw it. Next to it was a little message device that he had seen his previous owners use. It took him a while to reach out and activate it.

_“Thane, this is for you. Don’t worry, I didn’t poison it. If you’re doubting me, you can wait until I come back home and I’ll take a bite so you can feel safe. I told you before—cooking isn’t exactly my forte. So if it tastes bad, it’s definitely not because I put some sort of venom, okay. I felt sick after eating it too.”_

His stomach grumbled as he listened to his mistress’ voice patiently.

_“Look, I’m still upset that you attacked me but that doesn’t mean I want you dead now. I won’t throw you away if that’s what you’re scared of.”_

He could feel two sides of himself starting to clash again. He wondered if she was bluffing, putting him into a false sense of security. It’s significantly harder to trace any hints of dishonesty if he couldn’t see their eyes and body language. But the drell side of him begged him to take a spoonful. It smelled absolutely delicious, and he knew it would taste so too.

He closed his eyes and grabbed the spoon.

**Jane Shepard**

The drell was staring at the sofa so hard she thought he would drill a hole through it. His eyes were wide open and hardly ever blinked, his hands clasped together on his chin, as if deep in thought. He didn’t even seem to notice the profanity she muttered as she accidentally sliced and burned herself. He also didn’t move when she finished cooking.

 _‘Garrus is so gonna talk tomorrow.’_ She rolled her eyes after seeing her absolutely butchered hand. The pain from the stab wound had mostly subsided, leaving only stings. _‘Damn, medigel really works magic.’_

She then immediately sighed in frustration at the silence. She _really_ wasn’t expecting an attack on the first day. _‘At this rate I might start worrying more about getting killed by him than those assassins. Fuck, he fights like a war veteran. About 100 years better than those guys.’_

Shepard looked at the pile of dish on her sink and crossed her arms, with the dishwasher broken, she decided that she’d finish them later. Walking towards the living room with a bowl of food in her hand, she gently set it on the coffee table and gained no reaction from him. She wondered if he was only pretending or really that deep in thought. She quickly grabbed the message device buried somewhere under the pile of datapads on her desk and put it next to the bowl.

Glancing towards his head reminded her of the smooth sensation of it against her feet and she immediately shivered. He had nuzzled and snuggled onto her feet just like a _dog._ The fact that he had no problem doing it without any order had terrified her—she felt sorry for him. He must’ve been treated like absolute _shit_. Being touched that way made her feel disgusted with herself—it made her feel like a slaver and she was momentarily upset that he had considered her as a master who he needed to bow down to. She just wanted a goddamn guard. Not a fucking pet. Why was it so difficult to comprehend?

He was one hell of a fighter though, she’d give him that. And she was sure that if the drell species was to be treated as an equal, he would’ve been one of the best assassins in the galaxy. Perhaps extensively trained under the best order. He definitely would be much stronger and faster than he already was. He was a _slave_ who constantly get abused and malnourished, yet he was able to move so well. With more time for himself, who knows what kind of a weapon he’d become.

Of course, feeling sorry for him is one thing, but him trying to murder her is another. She just wouldn’t feel save with him walking around unleashed, ready to slit her throat in her sleep. She knew that he’d be able to do it easily, since she couldn’t even hear his goddamn footsteps.

She quickly exited her apartment and took a skycar towards the pet shop that she had bought him from. It was a mighty good thing that the shop assistant from earlier had finished her shift, now replaced with a turian.

“Anything for you, commander?” He bowed slightly, recognising the face in front of him. She was the one who had saved the galaxy from Saren, after all.

Shepard took a deep breath, unable to believe that she was going to say it. The mere thought of it made her feel like she had stooped so low, like she was the worst of human being. “I’m looking for a disciplinary collar.” She exhaled.

He smiled and opened the cabinet behind him, revealing several designs of drell-tailored chokers of different designs. “Anything you’re looking for in particular? Any effect?”

“Uhm, what do you suggest?” She tentatively asked.

“The most common one is this.” He said, talons reaching for the one on the left. It was black and looked extremely tight fitting with studs on the outer shell. At the front was a ring that she could only assume was for chains to connect so the owners could walk them. “It leaves them uncomfortable but will still be able to breathe. It also comes with 20 milliamps shock that is enough to render them still for a good few minutes. Some might black out. The effect is particularly devastating for Kepral’s syndrome sufferers.”

“Right, uh I want something that activates when I’m asleep so he wouldn’t be able to come near me.” She scratched her head. “And I want something that isn’t too strong.”

The turian nodded in understanding before reaching for another collar and placed it on the counter. It was dark green in colour and very simple just like a belt. “New design. I might be able to decrease the charge, though. Currently it's also set on 20. What about 10? That will cause severe pain in their muscles but doesn't really disrupt their breathing."

She flinched at the image of using it on Thane. The shopkeeper talked about the effect as if it was a natural thing for drell, when she was having trouble even picturing his hoarse screams as he falls to the ground. “What about… 5?”

He gave her a questioning look but answered her anyway. “We don’t normally go any lower than 10, commander, but I'll give you an exception. That amount of shock will only cause mild pain and minimal burning but will not paralyse them.”

“Then I'll take it.” She nodded, although conscience still screaming no at her. After paying for it, she was surprised by how expensive it was but decided to say nothing as she took the skycar back to her apartment. Then, the omnitool beeped.

 **GV [2112]:** Wanna go to flux?  
**JS [2112]:** Not today, sir  
**GV [2113]** : I love it when you're obedient like that  
**JS [2113]:** Eat shit, Garrus  
**JS [2113]:** Need to finish sorting out my mail tonight. Tomorrow?  
**GV [2114]** : Alright ma’am. I know you’re not working, probably just busy screwing the councilor  
**JS [2115]:** That was ONCE  
**GV [2115]:** Right, Kryik then?  
**JS [2115]:** Y'know we human have this ancient proverb that states ‘talk shit get hit’ see you tomorrow night, handsome  
**GV [2116]:** Right. I have a feeling that I'd need a mandible implant.

Shepard chuckled out loud. Talking with Garrus never ceased to brighten up her mood; the guy's just too snarky for his own good. He's really going to get hit one day.

The skycar came to a stop on the parking lot for her apartment and she locked it before heading back.

"Mistress." Came a deep, husky voice as soon as she entered. He was sitting on the carpet in front of the sofa while holding his knees. "Welcome home."

She merely nodded in recognition and turned to the kitchen, wanting to do the dishes before she showering. However, the sink was clean and empty, and the plates were already neatly arranged on the shelf, as well as cooking utensils and the pans she used.

 _'Drell's still thinking that he's my servant.'_ She sighed in frustration while pinching the bridge of her nose, the plastic bag on her hands crinkled at the motion. She walked towards the living room with a frown, which was a bad move considering how he seemed to shrink and peeked from behind his knees. _'Damn, that is too cute. Call the police.'_

"Why did you feel the need to clean up, Thane?"

He flinched for a brief moment but answered, "I want to help mistress." He let out a trill. "I apologise."

"You don't have to feel obligated to help me, for god's sake!" She threw her hands to the air in desperation. Why can't he get that simple notion? "Thane, you're not my pet. Stop acting like one."

' _He's... taller than I expected_.' Shepard gulped as he watched the drell straightening his back. She was rather concerned and got her biotic ready at the tip of her fingers just to be safe.

"I will not attack mistress again, I give my word." He spoke with hoarse quality. "Please don't throw me away. Mistress can hit me if she is unpleased."

' _Right. Of course he interpreted my sentence as an intention to throw him away_.' She sighed in defeat and extinguished her aura. "Thane... Just, just stay here and do your job. Guard me. That's what I bought you for. I don't want you going around like you're my pet, okay? I'm going to shower now."

"Would you like me to prepare a warm bath?"

"Thane." She glared at him and he became still, only nodding in understanding. Shepard quickly dropped the package into the drawer of the nightstand and jumped into the shower. She really didn't want to make him put the collar on as it would contradict with what she said, but she doubted that she would be able to get a peaceful sleep with him watching her.

That day, she pulled an all-nighter in order to completely finish sorting through her e-mails and forwarding reports from her exploration a few days ago. There were some very interesting case that the civilians brought to her attention and she immediately placed them in the 'important' folder. She grouped all the requested expeditions in one system together for the next time she boards the Normandy, and immediately thought of bringing Thane along. He certainly could fight in close combat, and she started to wonder if he could handle a gun. He seemed like a rifle type of fighter.

Leaning back and looking at the clock, she glanced at her hand that had a blade drove through it just a few hours ago. She wondered what kind of thing was going inside his brain that he decided to assault her that way. Whatever it was, it wasn't normal. Somehow, she doubted that he would be dumb enough to intentionally attack her on day one.

But enough thinking. She was so goddamn tired she could see herself passing out on top of the datapads in about two minutes. So she dragged herself to the bed and curled under the blanket.

**Thane Krios**

It was delicious. The food that his new owner had cooked was on a different level than what he was already used to. It had _taste,_ salty, sour, sweet. It was like reaching into a bag and grabbing a handful of different flavoured sweets and eating them at the same time. He had forgotten how long it had been since he felt so spoiled. What surprised him even more was the fact that he didn't feel his stomach churning and throat burning due to either mild poison or aphrodisiac that his ex-masters and mistresses used to feed him with.

He needed to show that he was grateful somehow. Never in his wildest dream would he imagine having someone who would treat him like he was one of them, like he wasn't a _drell._

With an empty bowl in his hand, he walked to the kitchen and nodded when he saw the pile of unwashed dishes. He immediately set to work. The water was awfully cold on his fingers, almost numbing his senses. Drowning bodies in water had never been drell's idea of hygiene, but it seemed like it was the only choice they have since all other species use fluid to clean themselves. He was used to washing his owners' bodies under running water, either cold or warm and both option poses negative effect to his worsening Kepral's syndrome.

But he ignored it completely. He focused on making the plates as clean as humanly possible, and arranged neatly so she would come home and relax. Once he finished, he walked back to the living room and sat on his spot just near the sofa, and hugged his knees.

Then she arrived home and had visibly showed her disappointment and had raised her voice, making him wince. All he wanted to do was to show that he was grateful and that he was so very sorry for attacking her. But she didn't allow him to explain himself, and he felt like he had no right to speak without being spoken first. It was the mentality embedded into him by his former owners, something that he struggled to grow out of.

Of course, he did eliminate them eventually. But that was because he deemed them rotten to the core and deserved painful death. And Shepard does not. She was gentle and kind, looking at him with nothing but equality in her eyes, tone never ridiculing nor commanding. For the first time, he wanted to please someone not because he was ordered to, but because he wished it.

It was the only way he could show thankfulness. And she had rejected it. He was unsure of what to do.

He watched her keenly as she sat on the terminal and sorted through her private mails, constantly complaining and talking to herself. Her omnitool beeped continuously but she ignored it as she continued to work. By the time she was fast asleep in bed, it was already 2 in the morning. Thane waited for an hour or so before standing up and approaching her to take a good look at her sleeping face. She was facing the wall, blanket sprawled up to her cheek and was curling around an extra pillow. Sometimes, she would moan softly and let out a snort that made him jump back a bit, thinking that she was awake. He watched with curious eyes, trying to figure out why she was making that noise.

"Fuck you, Kryik." She groaned, making him flinch.

 _'It's okay, she's asleep.'_ He assured himself though started to question whether all human talk in their sleep or whether it was just her. Could it be the state of their mind? It was fascinating, he decided.

The drell sat next to her bed and watched his surroundings. He had turned off the lights in living room, leaving the apartment pitch black with only dim brightness from curtain covered window. Closing his eyes and inhaling softly, he focused his ears to catch any strange noise. He tried to prepare for a sudden attack by the aforementioned assassins as he got to his knees and started swishing his arms, practicing his punches, being extra careful as to not knock anything over and wake her up. Her apartment was quite secure. The only ways in were through the door and window, so he decided that he only had to guard her from inside.

From the corner of his eyes, he might've seen a shadow from outside the windows and he immediately came to a still, turning his head to the direction in an attempt to catch distinguishing feature. However, whatever it was, it was already gone. Thane squinted his eyes. Had the infiltrator spotted him and decided to retreat, or at least find another way in? As far as he was concerned, no one from outside should be able to see or even make out any movement that happens inside, where it was much darker. He was sure human didn't have such good night vision, unless their eyes were heavily augmented which would cost a lot of credit.

Others might take him as paranoid, but Thane knew that the first step to defeating an opponent is by knowing what they were fully capable of. A thousand of different things went through his head as he struggled to get a clear and definite answer but when the shadow didn’t return for the next couple of hours, he relaxed and came to a sitting position again and accidentally hit his back against the nightstand, making the bed lamp clatter. He quickly glanced in Shepard’s direction, making sure she wasn’t awoken by the noise, and was pleasantly relieved when she continued to talk in her sleep even when light was starting to peek through the curtain.

Thane remembered the plastic bag that Shepard had carried and out of curiosity he pulled the drawer gently and slowly reached inside the bag.

And his eyes were wide open at the sensation.

It was unmistakably leather, and not just any other leather, but that one type he was so familiar with. His other hand swiftly touched his neck, where he had expected one to be, but he found nothing.

 _‘Of course,’_ he thought. ‘ _I attacked her. Of course she would feel threatened.’_ He gripped the collar inside the plastic bag tightly. He knew that despite the fact that she had purchased the particular item, she had been considerate enough to not force him to wear it. That alone made Thane’s defenses crumble even more. He badly wanted to believe that she was not what he made her out to be, that she was merely hiding behind an angelic façade, that she was just waiting until he was comfortable around her before turning back and breaking him.

But how could he try to convince himself that when his previous masters had not even bothered to wait even an hour before they started to point and laugh at him? Usually, by nighttime he would be forced to sit and sleep outside or forced into sex in his owner’s bedroom. But here he was, without collar, sitting patiently next to his sleeping mistress not because he was obligated to.

It had only been a day, people might say. But, one day tends to be enough for Thane to decide what kind of person someone is. He was a good judge of character, especially the despicable ones.

He wanted his mistress to feel safe and reassured around him, just like he was starting to be around her. And that security was probably the reason why she had bought the collar that he had always associated with submissiveness and fragility. He thumbed the object thoughtfully before taking it out of the bag and putting it around his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wanted to make Thane much more detached and cool than this but decided that fluffiness and sadness won't come from that, so I decided to make him less of those. But I guess after being tortured for so long, and being able to recall memories and sensations perfectly, he would somehow be broken, right? Also, in this fanfic Nihlus is alive, as you may have realised.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support! I appreciate all the kudo's and comments. It really encouraged me to write more.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Jane Shepard**

“Jesus Christ, my back is killing me.” Shepard dragged herself from a sleeping position to a sitting one on her bed, blanket pooled on her lap and hair a mess. Her fingers worked her way with futility along the length of her spine and she groaned in frustration at the uncomfortable sensation. She really needs a new bed or she was going to have back problem before her age. “Wonder if I can just sleep at Sparatus’s or at least steal his fucking bed. Even Nihlus has a better bed than I do. Bet Saren did too. This is fucking bullshit. And I was the one who saved their asses and the galaxy’s from a total annihilation. They can’t even give me a decent fucking bed. What the hell did I even work so hard for?” She mumbled at the speed of bullet train—although no one ever use that simile anymore. At the speed of Normandy? Heh. Shepard decided she liked that one.

“Good morning, mistress.” Thane scooted closer to the bed and placed both of his hands on the edge of the bed.

Her shoulders tensed for a moment and one hand instinctively grabbing for the handgun under her pillow before she realized that it was no unwanted guest, so she settled on the bed once more. “Hey.” She answered shortly and awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck, eyes still shut tightly. God save her, she needs to remember that she was no longer alone in her apartment. Maybe she also needs to warn the new kid about her sour mood in the mornings.

“Did mistress sleep well?” That unnecessarily husky and seductive voice hummed inside her ears and she nodded, she definitely could get used to be woken up to a bed voice. And she thought Turian had attractive voice. Garrus was going to be so cut when she breaks the news.

“From the way I complain first thing in the morning? I think you should go figure, Thane.” She chuckled and turned sideways and half-lidded eyes suddenly snapped open at the sight of his neck. “Why—What? How? Why?” She stammered when she saw the collar. “I didn’t…” Scratching her cheek, she tried to remember whether she had made him wear it last night, but failed to remember anything like that. “Thane, why in the _world_ are you wearing that?” She groaned, thankful that she hadn’t installed and activated its intended use through her omnitool or he would be lying on the floor by now.

“Mistress bought it for me, didn’t she?” He rumbled on.

“Thane, please. I’m not having this to start the day.” She sighed, still couldn’t believe that this drell was stubborn enough to play pet. “Come on, take it off.” Reaching for the collar, she could see Thane backing off.

“Mistress bought this for safety precaution. I understand.” He insisted, walking away from her reach. “I want mistress to feel safe around me.”

“Oh, Thane.” She buried her face in her hands, obviously affected by the submission shown by the drell. She couldn’t understand _why_ he would demand to be leashed when he was given option not to be. “Fine, you wear that.” She continued, but didn’t tell him that she wasn’t going to activate the program so not like it was going to be much use anyway.

Shepard quickly booted up her omnitool after seeing the relieved expression on Thane’s face and noticed an incoming call from Admiral Hackett. Groaning loudly, she rushed off the bed to change temporarily into something more presentable—shower later.

“Thane, face the other way!” She raised her voice as she stripped off her loose pajama top before flinging them to the sofa and putting on her casual black tee and N7 striped hoodie. The baggy pants wouldn’t be too necessary as omnitool call wouldn’t show that much.

“Admiral.” She bowed slightly to show respect.

_“Commander, I apologise for calling at such an inconvenient time. But I have a sensitive matter that I wish to discuss with you. May I confirm that you are alone at your apartment?”_

Shepard glanced at Thane, and the drell got to his feet and walked out of the unit, the door making no more than a little click. “Sorry about that. I am now.” At the sight, Hackett squinted his eyes, as if refusing to believe what he just saw. “I know what you’re gonna say, Admiral. He’s just here to cover my ass from the assassins that have been sent after me lately.”

 _“I trust your judgement on that, Commander.”_ He said, clearing his throat. _“We have received news regarding a captured deep cover Alliance agent in Batarian space, Dr. Amanda Kenson. Her group has discovered an artifact that, they claimed, shows an evidence of reaper invasion.”_

Shepard stared deep into the screen, her attention successfully garnered and focused completely on him instead of her killer back. “Sounds vital, and definitely can be used to further spread the knowledge regarding reapers. Getting troops ready from now will benefit us in the long run. What do you need me to do, Admiral?”

_“We are still investigating and reaching out for any trace of communication attempt, but to no avail. We are having difficulty pinpointing her exact location…”_

The conversation went on for an extended period of time before she decided that she’d get the C-sec to help tracing for suspicious communication signal from known batarian spaces. It was damn 9 o’clock in the morning, and it had proved to be quite a promisingly hectic day. She groaned as she opened the door and motioned for Thane to come back in, which he happily obliged.

She reached to the overhead cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed a sealed package of instant ramen and boiled some water in the electric kettle.

“Thane, do you eat noodles?” She asked, one hand holding on to the rubber of her pajama pants. “If not, I’ve got some fruits in the fridge.”

The drell was standing behind the floor where the kitchen starts, blinking in confusion. “What is noodles, mistress?”

“I’ll let you have a taste.” She chuckled as she poured the hot water into the cup and closed the lid, waiting for it to cook. She then turned back and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms. “So…” She began, trying to have a conversation. “Yesterday night before I left you seem to be deep in thought you didn’t even notice me. Is that a drell thing?”

Thane hesitated before answering. “We drell have perfect, eidetic memory. We are able to thoroughly recall every event in our lives, every sound and every sensation.”

Having not expected such response, Shepard’s eyes widened. “Wait, _perfectly_? Does that mean you can… remember… uhm…”

“Every pain we have ever experienced.” He said flatly, and she visibly winced. _“Short pants, hissing from under the breath. The air reeks of metal as blood drips from my nose and split lips. The coldness of the shackles on my hands no longer sting as is how master no longer in sight but I know he is behind me. The swishing noise deafening as he pulls back the whip and strikes me. My scales rip, revealing flesh. The fifth blow. I scream, begging for forgiveness, but master does not understand. He circles me and repeats the process.”_

Shepard flinched at the detailed description she just heard. She thought having a perfect memory would be handy, but she failed to see the gory details that might result from it. Thane had been dealing with such treatment from his previous owners—she had to commend him for being able to stay sane. He was one hell of an alien.

“Thane… I’m so sorry.” She tightened her crossed arms. “I hadn’t considered…”

“No, _I_ apologise, mistress.” He said quickly and eyes tentatively meeting hers. The look of sympathy shone clearly in those orbs of hers. “That is a state called solipsism. I thought that I had mastered to avoid entering such circumstance. It can be a little… disturbing.”

The human female could see the slight tremble on his body as he briefly explained the foreign word and she couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow. “Does this whole solipsism makes you uncomfortable?”

“It depends on the situation, mistress. If we are recalling unpleasant memory, it can get a little disconcerting.”

“No, I mean…” She trailed off, letting him complete the puzzle on his own.

“Ah.” He looked down and cleared his throat in understanding. “Yes, most of the owners never allow their drell to enter the state.” He closed his eyes in contemplation before continuing. “We would usually get severely punished for it.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you remember those memories. But I gotta say that it’s quite impressive. I don’t know any other species that can do that.” She smiled kindly, uncrossing her arms. “You have to tell me more about drell one day”

“If you wish it, mistress.”

“Shit! My noodles!” She exclaimed and quickly turned her back to uncover two cups of soggy noodles and she immediately groaned. “This isn’t good…” She frowned but decided to take it to dump them in a bowl and set it on the dining table. “I hope you don’t mind soggy noodles, Thane.” She grinned, pulling out a chair and patting it as a gesture for him to come sit with her.

He took one step towards the kitchen and stood in front of the table, unsure of how to proceed. “May I sit here, mistress?” He re-confirmed the body language that he interpreted as an invitation.

“Come sit, come sit.” She smiled, shoving one forkful of food into her mouth. “Vegetarian for you. I bought it by mistake, thought it was meatball flavour.”

“Thank you.” He said hesitantly when finding himself unable to express any more than that. He took a seat next to the woman who was busy slurping out of the bowl and he looked at his own. Reluctantly, he grabbed the fork and put a little into his mouth.

“Is it bad?” She laughed at his expression.

“I will finish it, mistress.” He answered and Shepard grabbed the bowl from him.

“Nah. I won’t torture you with bad food. Go get some fruits from the fridge.” The woman grinned and dumped the remaining of his noodles into her bowl. “Not sure if you’ll find anything you like but guess your stomach isn’t made for noodles. There’s also leftover from yesterday if you want it. Though I highly doubt it.”

“The vegetable you cooked…” He said, clasping his hands together. “Was very delicious. Thank you, mistress.”

“Bullshit.” She chuckled, thinking that he was only spouting pleasantries so she would be happy. No human had ever ate her cooking and wanted another. Even she had to admit that she was pretty damn bad. “No need to be so polite, Thane. Everyone said that my cooking isn’t even edible.” She grinned.

“But I loved it.” He answered flatly, looking at her with intensity that she had to cough and looked away, face turning red in embarrassment. “I will finish it, if you’d allow me to, mistress.”

“You’re weird.” She rubbed the back of her neck at the unusual compliment and took a big bite of noodles so she would have to avoid talking as she made her way to the fridge and grab one container of stir fry. She put it into the heating unit for a few seconds before it came out steaming hot. “One bowl of stir fry wannabe for you, Mr…”

“Krios.” He gave her a slight smile that sent shiver down her spine.

 _‘Fuckfuckfuckfuck.’_ She cursed as she placed the food in front of him. _‘My heart’s gonna stop beating at this rate. Why is he so eerily attractive. And that voice does absolutely nothing to calm me down.’_

“Right. Uhm. One bowl of stir fry wannabe for Mr Krios!”

“We use ‘sere’ instead of ‘mister’ to address an adult drell, if mistress would like to know.” He commented while carefully adding the last few words in case she would feel offended.

“Right. Sere Krios.” She cleared her throat. “Thane Krios. That’s… a nice name. It suits you.” _‘Oh god, I’m acting like a 12 years old with their disgusting crush. Why does he make me so nervous?’_

“Thank you, mistress.” He looked away, frill expanding slightly. “I’ve… never had anyone who called me that. You are very kind.”

“Well then, maybe I ought to call you that more often… Sere Krios.” She blurted out before mentally facepalming herself for blatantly flirting with the drell.

“That… wou—“ He tripped over his word, a deep rumble escaped from his throat. “—would be inappropriate, mistress.”

“Right. Uh.” She took another mouthful of noodles to cover her awkwardness, but failed when they spluttered out of her mouth due to the sudden loud noise from her omnitool. In anger, she activated the call and screamed at the little camera display hovering above the device. “Jesus Christ, Kryik, what the fuck do you need?! My shift hasn’t even started yet!”

_“Jane, it’s almost 0930. Get your human ass to the office immediately before I personally come over and haul you on my shoulder like a sack of potato. Also you have food all over your mouth.”_

“Yeah, and that simile is a sign that you’ve spent too much time with me. Also shut the hell up, Kryik, you called at a bad time.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be there in 15.”

_“You’d better.”_

“Or else?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

 _“We can sort out a punishment later, I believe.”_ He let out a deep chuckle before disconnecting the call.

Thane was eyeing her in disbelief at the call and he started. “That was the spectre Nihlus Kryik. Mistress, are you a…?”

“A spectre.” She huffed. “Also Kryik is an asshole, don’t let his reputation recedes you. But again, all the turian I know has a talent for being the ultimate assholes, so I’m not sure if it’s just a turian thing or what.”

“I’m sorry, mistress? My translator just translated that word into a…”

“Asshole. A human colloquial used to negatively describe someone’s personality. But in this case, I’m using it as a term of endearment.”

“…I see.” Thane nodded slightly, and awkwardly. “And what about the one mistress muttered about three times in the morning? Was that a swear word too?” He asked, but quickly added. “If mistress does not mind explaining, of course.”

“Ah, yes. My favourite word, ‘fuck’. It’s such a beautiful word. You can use it to express frustration, emphasise your point, tell someone to leave you alone or to graphically describe sexual intercourse.” She laughed. “God, I’m just teaching you bad words now huh. I should go.” She exhaled. “If you’re hungry just grab something from the fridge. I won’t be home until late.”

“Of course, mistress.” He said when she dumped the empty bowl into the sink and went to the bathroom to quickly rinse her body and get dressed properly. Then, she left.

**Thane Krios**

Of course she would try to take the collar off—somehow he had anticipated it and had moved away from her hand. He could almost see the guilt expressed in her eyes, and he felt even more reluctant to let her take it away. He wanted her to trust him and to be safe around him, and that was the only way to prove it. So he was relieved when she gave in and decided to let him keep it, not without a sigh.

Soon after, her omnitool had rang and she scrambled off the bed, quickly screaming a command and stripping of her clothes. Thane hadn’t been quick enough to listen and glimpsed her bare back for a few seconds before looking away. He hoped she didn’t notice him looking for a moment. There were scars all over that screamed out the fact that she was a soldier, probably still one. But without even looking at them, Thane could tell from the way she had fought him last night.

He was rather impressed. The last time he heard Shepard’s name was a few years ago and she was nothing more than a ground crew aboard an Alliance ship. One wouldn’t be able to tell that she held such a high position by the way she acts. She acts almost childlike and a spontaneous kind of person. But he could see an exceptional quality as a leader—the way she opens up to everyone, and the way she oversees differences between species.

He temporarily left the unit to give the two privacy and looked up the sky to momentarily thank the gods for their kindness to bless him such a fascinating owner, and vowed that he wouldn’t disappoint or expose her to any harm if it he could help it. After a good few minutes, Shepard popped her head out of the door and invited him back inside to have breakfast. She generously offered to make her some sort of human food, which she refers to as ‘noodles’.

And unexpectedly, she expressed interest on drell, which he was more than happy to answer despite the fact that she seemed quite perturbed all of a sudden and he slipped into solipsism without her consent. For a moment, the disgust was clear in her face and he had to break their eye contact, fearing that she would harm him for graphically describing a part of his past.

“Thane… I’m so sorry. I hadn’t considered…” She said softly, and he realised that the disturbed look she gave him was for the memory, or his former owner, rather than him and his solipsism state, which he noticed is uncommon within other species. It was the number one rule for the owned drell, to never voice their thoughts out loud in presence of their masters or mistresses, as it was considered talking without permission.

“Does this whole solipsism makes you uncomfortable?”

It was quite an ambiguous question but he decided to play it safe and answered it literally only to have her shook her head and tried to make him answer her actual question.

“Ah.” Thane nodded in understanding and recalled the amount of time he had been beaten for entering solipsism. It was one of the unwritten rules—the number one thing that drell wasn’t allowed to do. “Yes, most of the owners never allow their drell to enter the state.” Trying to hide his relief and gratefulness, he continued. “We would usually get severely punished for it.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you remember those memories. But I gotta say that it’s quite impressive. I don’t know any other species that can do that. You have to tell me more about drell one day” At that, Thane could feel himself choking back a purr. He silently thanked Arashu once more for uniting him with Jane Shepard. She treated him with respect, and she held great interest for their culture—truly one of a kind.

She had even offered a seat on the chair, something that no one had ever given him permission to. It had taken him a few moments before he dared to step inside the kitchen and comply, but not without a reconfirmation. He didn’t want to misinterpret her gesture and ends up overstepping the boundary.

The food tasted… unique. It wasn’t designed for drell tongue—it was much too salty for his liking, but he didn’t want to disrespect his mistress’ effort so he insisted on eating it. However, at the mention of yesterday’s stir fry, he could feel himself drooling and asked if he could have it. _Asking_ if he could have it.

Let alone requesting a favour from his owner, none of them had ever bothered to install a translator to understand him, and he wondered if it was too much. Perhaps she would frown and put him in his place, telling him how he doesn’t have the right to ask something out of her, a mistress.

But of course it wasn’t the case. She looked sheepish, and he could see her cheeks tinted pink all of a sudden as she stuffed food inside her mouth. He had to suppress a smirk from blooming on his lips, he didn’t want to further embarrass her.

“One bowl of stir fry wannabe for you, Mr…”

Ah, he recognised that gesture. It was when someone wanted to know their last name. He never had any chance to tell people their names, and he realised that it would be the first time in a good few years that someone would know his last name. Finding himself unable to hold back a smile, he said. “Krios.”

And he could see straightaway that his cheeks had puffed up even more as if she was holding her breath as she put the bowl in front of him. She was looking anywhere but at his direction and he could see her lips moving although no sound was audible.

“Sere Krios. Thane Krios. That’s… a nice name. It suits you.”

At the use of a traditional drell honorary, he couldn’t help but look away to cover his reddened cheeks and expanded frill, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t know that was considered a blush for the drell. He could feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest but tried his best to calm it down, as it would be inappropriate to have that sort of reaction for his mistress. So, he simply thanked her to avoid any suspicious behaviour although his heart threatened to pop out of its socket at her reply.

“Well then, maybe I ought to call you that more often… Sere Krios.” She purred, and he could feel her eyes scanning him from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. He would’ve choked on the food or drop his spoon had he had one, and he was glad that he was doing neither. Although he managed to look relatively calm (despite the fact that his head was a mess), he could see that Shepard wasn’t handling it well. She unconsciously slapped a hand onto her mouth and looked away as far as she could.

“That… wou—“ He held the word as a choke threatened to pop. “—would be inappropriate, mistress.” The drell managed to phrase a coherent reply despite his maddeningly scorching cheeks. He silently cussed himself, internally screaming to his reaction to stop, and for his hands to stop shaking. And so, he was grateful for the distraction from Shepard’s omnitool although it clearly wasn’t the case for her as she started screaming at the caller.

 _‘Kryik?’_ Thane’s eyes widened _. ‘Nihlus Kryik?’_ He immediately observed the banter between the two, and noticed how the spectre had mentioned about dragging her into the office and his mind completed the puzzle. She wasn’t _just_ a commander. She was a spectre.

The first human spectre, Jane Shepard.

She had not brag about it. She treated this fact with such casual attitude that he found himself respecting her even more than he thought possible. Even a drell like him knew about her, and what she had done for the galaxy and the Council at the cost of thousands of Alliance soldiers lives—her people’s lives. And here she was, right in front of him: powerful, kind and humble. She was much more than the people had claimed her to be.

And she had bought him to protect her. Somehow he felt like it would be no easy task to guard someone who is _so_ important, and his heart started beating quickly and loudly at the rush of adrenalin suddenly rushing through his vein. He realised that he had always fought to defend himself, and now he found a reason; he found someone to fight for.

For the first time in a long while, he sat quietly on the dining table, hands clasped together under his chin and slipped into memories of his late wife, Irikah.

**Jane Shepard**

She was right. The day was hectic as hell, even more than it normally is for her standard. She had even turned down Garrus and Tali’s invitation to lunch and opted to stay in her office and ran investigation all around Citadel regarding suspicious activities. She also went and sorted out the problem about Dr Amanda Kenson with the C-sec and discussed its significance with her partner, Nihlus.

“I feel like I’ve done so much but there’s still… gods!” She yelled as she drove a bullet through an inanimate target in the shooting range. “I just want to go to the Normandy and run away.” She grumbled as she reloaded and aimed.

“Hunt down another rogue spectre, maybe?” Nihlus chuckled, mandibles flaring while his talons busy fiddling with the weapons on the bench, trying to enhance its mods.

“And risk getting you shot in the back again? Never.” She purred, admiring the neat hole on the target’s head. “What will you ever do without me, Kryik?”

“Get shot in the back?”

“Alright, smartass.” The female spectre grinned as she holstered her handgun and turned around, having had enough of practicing for the day. “I’d better start heading to Flux before Garrus drowns himself in ryncol due to loneliness that can only be sated through my wondrous presence. Can’t afford a drama caused by a C-sec officer now, huh?” She crossed her arms. “Coming Kryik?”

The turian accepted the invitation and the two quickly wrapped up their business in the shooting range before taking the elevator to the bar. Garrus was already seated with a drink on his hand when they approached and sat next to him.

“Officer Vakarian,” Nihlus nodded in recognition.

“Sir.” The blue turian bowed slightly at the sight of the spectre, letting out a respectful subharmonic that Shepard couldn’t hear. “Shepard!” He raised his voice and pat her on the shoulder. “How’s it going with your new toy?”

“Piss off, Garrus.” She grinned as he poured a glass of wine. “His name’s Thane Krios. And he’s one hell of a fighter.”

At the mention of his name, he choked on the drink and had to collect himself before speaking. “ _The_ Thane Krios? The drell suspected for murdering 8 people in cold blood?”

“Is that just a common knowledge or what?”

“Strictly within C-sec. The investigation never made any progress due to the disturbing lack of evidence.” He explained, fingers tapping on the bar. “You’d think he would be executed considering the non-existent drell rights, but the pet shop had been protecting him. They’re commodity. Expensive and can’t afford to get them killed.”

“C-sec would be able to drag him out if they wish to, though. They have the authority.” Nihlus commented as he thumbed the glass of turian whiskey on his hand.

“Yeah, about that…” He lowered his voice. “Apparently a group of vital hanar scientists in Citadel came and had kindly, or aggressively, you can never tell with hanar, asked C-sec to leave the case alone. I’m not sure what exactly happened since I wasn’t directly involved.”

“Because the hanar are still closely related to the drell.” Shepard continued his story.

“Precisely.”

“But it’s been almost one century that they have been enslaved—the resistance wouldn’t be as powerful as it was back then. We hardly ever hear any case of a hanar uprising for drell rights anymore.” Nihlus commented.

“Maybe he’s just a special drell.” Garrus shrugged in a very human fashion and Shepard chuckled. “You should ask him for the full story. I’m actually kind of curious.”

“I’m not here to talk about godforsaken politics! I’ve had enough of that for the day.” She threw her hands in the air as she chugs down the first round of beer.

One glass soon turned into two, and it multiplied from there on as the three got involved in friendly banters and drinking competition until the last thing she remembered was retching on the floor and getting hauled like a sack of potato on Nihlus’s shoulder and dumped into the skycar. Damn turian and their alcohol tolerance. Or maybe it was just those two. She silently cursed her implants to not include some sort of alcohol processing lungs or something.

“Jesus. Fucking. Christ.” Her head was throbbing like mad, and her brain feels like it was melting and coming out of her throat. Her cheeks were burning and stomach churning. It was simply the worst hangover she had ever experienced. Had she drank ryncol or something? She would have to beat up both Nihlus and Garrus for drugging her like that.

“Good morning, mistress.” Came the unmistakably signature bass of Thane Krios, although it sounded much closer than it had yesterday. Like he was lying down next to her.

 _‘Funny what alcohol does to my ears.’_ She thought.

She placed a hand on her forehead and groaned. She could still taste the alcohol on her tongue—a deadly mix of everything. It was horrendous and she badly needed a glass of water. It took her a while to focus her eyes, and the first thing she saw was two huge black eyes staring back at her.

“Oh, wow. The alcohol is doing things to my eyes too. Now you look like you’re lying down next to me.” She grinned, and it was quickly replaced with a stunned look. It wasn’t the alcohol.

_He was actually lying down next to her._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [And for a little sketch I did somewhere in the middle of the morning shock~](http://tinyurl.com/oz2k65u)

**Thane Krios**

_Just like a gift from the goddess Arashu Herself, he comes to me. His fingers small in comparison to ours as he lets out a small, innocent trill, unaware of the cruel fate that awaits him. No, how dare I consider such possibility. I will not let him fall into the vile embrace of the slavers. Her voice, trembling like the swaying of leaves during autumn cries out a tear of joy, something that is priceless at time such as this._

_“Kolyat.” She whispers, quivering fingers tracing out the outline of his markings. “He looks just like you.” The smile as precious as jewels, graceful and strong just like a warrior-angel I claim her to be. The silky smooth noise from his throat accentuates his beauty, and my heart melts._

Thane quickly forced himself to snap back into reality before the tragedy that comes after dawns. It was no easy task—once started, it was exceedingly difficult for one to withdraw from the memory as it felt too real, as if they had travelled back through time, and sometimes thinking that they could change it.

His hands trembled involuntarily at the thought of Irikah. There had been not one second where he would not think of her after they were estranged. Every day he would live in hope of being reunited with her and their son, Kolyat, only to receive the news that she had been killed. It was as if his reason for living had been taken away from him, and he briefly contemplated ending his life before deciding that no, he had to live to make the killers pay.

Thane’s eyes moved to look at the time as he was unsure just how long he had spent dwelling on the memories that he thought he would never revisit again. It never ceased to cause him pain to remember those times they spent together, and he had sworn to move on. But he had always found himself unable to, like all of the power in the world would never help him forget.

He stood up and walked to the living room, deciding that he would benefit from a sleep as he had spent the majority of his free time being wide awake, not wanting to miss a single event. His first reflex was to lie down on the carpet, but after a moment of weighting the consequences, he decided to climb on the beanie bag, as the humans called it, on the corner just near the windows.

It was, without argument, the most comfortable surface that Thane had ever sat on in a long while. He purred in contentment as the soft fabric and cotton moulded to accommodate his body shape, and he could feel the chilliness soon turned into warmth as they enveloped his form. It didn’t take long for him to fall deep into a slumber.

He woke up a few hours later feeling more refreshed and alive than he had ever been and noticed how the sky had gone dark, but Shepard was still nowhere to be found. He got to his feet and tentatively opened the fridge to grab a familiar, universal fruit for levo eaters. Never in his wildest dream would he ever imagine freely roaming and utilising all the accommodation that his owners own. It still took him more than a little convincing that Shepard would not punish him and he found his heart thumping wildly inside his chest, fearing that she would change her mind and went into a rage.

The fruit was soft and juicy in his mouth, although the vegetable that Shepard had made for him yesterday night was even more so. She had brushed off the compliment, saying that she couldn’t cook but what he tasted said the contrary.

After finishing the food and having his stomach filled satisfactorily, he went back to the living room to practice his punches and kicks while maintaining the biotic aura throughout his body so he would have deeper stamina pool. He also found that exercising in that way helped with his illness, allowing him to breathe easier for a couple of hours afterwards.

His moment was disrupted when he heard the hissing nose of the door behind him and he immediately turned his back to greet his mistress, but held his tongue when he noticed that the footsteps were different than hers. Heavier, and there were two of them. Not the assassins, for sure.

He growled at the sight of a blue turian with a visor attached on his left eye, but it soon turned into a trill of worry as he saw Shepard being draped on the spectre Nihlus Kryik’s shoulder. The two turian didn’t require translators to interpret the soft noise coming from the drell was a symbol of concern.

“What happened to mistress?” He took a step forward, and another to approach the two.

Nihlus and Garrus looked at each other in confusion of not understanding his language and started speaking to each other.

“I guess he’s threatening to kick our asses from Citadel back to Palaven. Well, mine, theoretically speaking.” He said with a chuckle but made no move to try to understand him.

“Let go of her!” He said once more, this time more aggressively as he stepped in front of Garrus and glared a hole through him. He let his biotic to surge on his hands which were folded on his back just in case they would start something. He wasn’t sure about the blue one, but he knew that his mistress seemed to be quite close with the spectre.

He glanced at Nihlus once more, and the spectre’s mandibles flared in concern, then he shifted his eyes to the unconscious human whose arm flung across his shoulder, hoping that she would be awake but she wasn’t. Sighing, he took the matter into his own hand.

“Thane Krios.” He started, and the drell tensed even further at the mention of his name. “I am spectre Nihlus Kryik, a companion to your mistress.”

“I know who you are, Nihlus Kryik.” He let out a trill of wariness and eyes immediately turned to Garrus. “And you are?”

“I think he knows you.” Garrus commented. “Why don’t we make it easier and install a translator?” He said, missing the surprised look on Thane’s face as he typed away on his omnitool and waited until the download was completed. “Alright. We should be on the same wavelength now.”

“Who are you, and what happened to my mistress?” Thane hissed impatiently as he saw the turian’s mandibles fluttered once more, possibly an attempt to cover up a laughter at the mention of ‘mistress’. However, Thane was quite taken aback by his willingness to attempt conversation with him, and decided that his mistress kept fine company although he had yet to trust him.

“C-sec, Garrus Vakarian. I’ve been fighting alongside her for a while.” He eyed the collar around Thane’s neck and frowned.

At the mention of his occupation, he made a noise to express his disturbance. Nihlus gave him a look of distaste at the less than hospitable reaction but decided to not let it show as he could only imagine that he would develop a strong attachment for her, since Shepard does have that effect, and the fact that she also wouldn’t abuse her pets.

“Relax, we’re not here for a fight.” Garrus continued, disrupting Nihlus’s train of thought. “Jane’s drop dead drunk and we just want to let her have a good sleep now. Now if we can dump her to her awfully uncomfortable bed, we’ll be off before you know it.”

Thane stepped aside slowly, watching Nihlus carefully as he walked into the apartment and placed her on her side on the bed gently. Garrus stood next to Thane and observed the now calm drell.

“Shepard’s been through a lot.” He started although the shorter alien made no move to look at him. “Give her some peace of mind. She needs a quiet sleep once in a while.” Thane nodded slightly. “I know who you are and what you’ve done, Krios. If you dare to hurt her, I will personally make sure you’ll suffer more than those eight people you’ve killed collectively. Not even the hanar will be able to save you when the time comes.”

The look that the blue turian gave him was enough to give him a slight chill all over his body. He was not joking, he could tell, and the aura radiating from his body told Thane that he was no second class soldier, and showed him the amount of affection he held for his mistress. Hence, instead of fighting back, he nodded.

“Alright, Krios. I’ll tell you now that Jane’s a violent drunk and she’ll probably beat you up with anything she can lay her hands on if you don’t obey her. So I’d rather keep her away from the handgun under her pillow.” Nihlus said once Shepard was already neatly arranged on the bed under her cosy blanket. “I speak from experience.”

“Did I tell you that time she threw an alarm clock at the councillor a month back?” Garrus chuckled.

“So that was why he suddenly showed up with a huge lump on the back of his head.” Nihlus let out an amused chuckle. “You have to tell me how exactly she managed to get him in bed with her considering the time they spend bickering every spirits forsaken day.”

“She told me, quote, it was the only way to make him shut up aside from ripping off his mandibles and shoving them down his throat, end quote.” His mandibles flickered in humour.

“I bet he dismissed the claim.”

Their laughter soon died out when the door closed, leaving Thane in the apartment alone with Shepard with more information than he really wanted to know. But he really could imagine Shepard screaming the said sentence in the middle of a Council meeting.

He walked towards Shepard and sat on the carpet next to her bed, watching her peaceful expression and listening to the soft hums from her throat. Her read hair fell messily on her forehead and he had a sudden desire to touch them and feel its softness in his hands. Those fur was such a curious thing for him since no other species had head full of them. It wasn’t exactly disgusting, but just unusual. Shaking his head, he quickly chased the thought away. Despite reeking of alcohol, Thane refused to avoid her breath.

And out of the blue, she stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes, staring at him half-liddedly. “Sere Krios.” She laughed, voice dragging and slurry as she extended her right arm to stroke him on the top of his head. “There’s two of you.”

“Mistress, you should go back to sleep.”

“Mmm yeah, with you. Come here you sexy beast.” She licked her lips unconsciously her voice barely a whisper, and it made his heart throb inside his chest. She was _drunk,_ she did not mean what she said, right? “Which god should I thank for giving you that alluring voice…”

“Mistress—“ The objection died on his throat as he felt her hand along his frill and went down to rub his uncovered erogenous zones. He couldn’t imagine that she would know that those area were extremely sensitive for drell, and it didn’t help that her fingers were calloused and slightly rough from the scars that the friction was greatly elevated, sending electrical current straight to his groin.

“Shut the fuck up and cuddle me, sexy green lizard… frog… fish man.” She groaned in frustration as she tried to hit him with her spare pillow and ended up muffling his replies with it. “Hnn…” She moaned again and released her grip on the pillow, muttering a ‘whatever’ as she fell asleep once more.

“Your wish is my command, mistress.” Thane almost chuckled at the childish display of frustration and climbed next to her. The bed was undeniably soft, even more comfortable when he straightened his body and he found himself sighing at the sensation. He managed an unflinching look at his mistress’s face at such a close proximity he could feel her breath whooping past his face.

He made no further advances, as the one that he was doing seemed drastic enough. But it was her wish, and he did not want to disrespect that no matter how drunk she was. He _definitely_ wasn’t taking advantage of the situation.

That night, Thane did not get a blink of sleep. Well, partly because he just had a peaceful nap, and the other because he was watching out for any strange noises that might be caused by an infiltration attempt. His eyes were wide open as he watched Shepard turned in her sleep to her back and her chest heaving up and down.

Then, when morning came, he braced himself for the worst as those big, brown eyes of hers stared back into him with such a stunned expression. Her lips moved but no sound was made.

“T-Thane. Hello.” She muttered, absolutely baffled and at loss of word, something that he thought would never happen to her. Her fingers frantically tried to get a hold of anything on her body and he could find the relief in her face as her fingers clutched to her N7 hoodie. Noticing how it was unzipped enough to show the rim of her bra, she quickly fastened it up. “I… we didn’t do anything weird… right?”

“Of course not, mistress. I would never dare.” He flatly said as he sat and stepped off the bed to collect himself, glad that she was not angry at him. More confused if anything.

“Oh, phew.” She huffed, face completely red. “How did I get here?”

“The spectre, Nihlus Kryik and The C-sec, Garrus Vakarian escorted you here.”

“Bastards didn’t do anything to you, right?” She asked in pure concern and he shook his head immediately. The worry she expressed never cease to warm his heart. “Good. Because we talked about… well, you.”

“That I have murdered eight people?” Thane switched his attention to the nightstand where a jug of clear water was located and he quickly poured a glass for his mistress and handed it to her. She took it without any further ado and gulped it all down before outstretching both of her hands as a gesture for more. He immediately complied and poured some more for her. “Does it appal you, mistress?” The question was not a curiosity, but merely a confirmation for a fact that he already knows. She had murdered more people than he ever had, and probably had to torture some for information.

“Just making sure the rumour is right. I might need to install a grand big sign on my front door that says ‘beware: cold blooded murderer drell who killed 8 people’ to make those assassins think twice before getting in. Seriously, Thane, how many people do you think I’ve killed?”

“A fair point, mistress.” He clasped his hands around his back as she chugged down the glass. "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness." At the strange look she gave him, he cleared his throat. “Forgive me. I quoted William Shakespeare, a known poet in Earth, I believe?”

“You _read_ Shakespeare? Fuck off!” She grinned, placing the glass between her crossed feet. “I can’t even understand what he’s trying to say!” He was surprised by how quickly he had opened up to her, but at the warm response he received, especially that smile of hers, he vowed to do it more often. “Shit, I’d love to ask you more about it but I desperately need some breakfast right now.”

Thane had served under a human before and he remembered her favourite menu in the morning consisted of crispy bacon and sunny side up egg topped with black pepper and mashed potato. So with that knowledge, he offered her. “Mistress, would you want me to cook?”

“As long as you don’t try to kill me again, sure. I don’t think I can defend myself when I can barely even walk straight.” She said half serious and half laughing.

“I promise you mistress—it would not happen again.” He tilted his head slightly to the side before it quickly returned to its original position. “Would you be happy with bacon and sunny side up egg?” He didn’t even wince when he heard her throwing up on the sink.

“Holy shit, yes.” Her voice was shaking but ecstatic at the same time. “If you can cook a perfect sunny side up egg, I’ll take you as my fucking husband.”

Thane had to stop his frills from flaring up at the nonchalant remark and he tried to assure himself that it was nothing but a friendly joke, and he played the straight man role real well. He was eternally grateful for that seemingly trivial skill.

“I would be honoured to have you as my wife, mistress.” He replied with deadpan seriousness, followed with a choking noise in the bathroom and he wondered if he had stepped over the line.

“Keep doing that every time I try to flirt with you and I’ll be dead from all the food I choke on by the end of the day.” She raised her voice and he could just imagine her red face.

“My apologies, mistress.” He tried another flat answer but he was sure it came out as a half-amused remark. It was getting strange how easily he came to open up around her—it felt strange attempting sincere conversation again after so long. She made him feel as if the whole drell slavery was nothing but a one terrifying nightmare.

“Although I do have to ask, what exactly triggered you to attack me?” The sound of running water was clear as he heard Shepard washing her face and stepping out of the bathroom. “Did I do anything to offend you or something?”

Thane’s eyes darkened in an instant and he could feel himself slipping away into memory, but he quickly snapped out of it. She was asking a lot out of him. The story of his childhood was the one thing that he never wished to disclose. The last time he had done it was… was when he was with Irikah and even then he could feel his fingers trembling, wanting to relive all those images flashing before his eyes.

Noticing his silence, Shepard peeked into the kitchen to see him standing still near the stove, frying pan sitting idly on top of it.

“Thane?” She asked and could immediately see how his head jerked upwards.

“Forgive me, mistress.” He turned around to look at her though no eye contact was made. “It is something to do with my childhood. I am sorry if you find such answer unsatisfactory but I hope you can accept this much for now.”

Shepard nodded lightly in understanding, lips pursed together. “I’ll drop it.”

“You are very kind, mistress.”

She let a soothing smile blossom on those thin lips of hers and she continued. “I understand completely, Thane.” Her tone was somehow distant and sombre—Thane then understood that she had also gone through some traumatic experience in the past, and decided to respect that and not pry. He turned back around to start working on her breakfast.

“Though I want to know how exactly I ended up with you on my bed.” She chuckled, this time full of mischief. “Did I try to hit you with something?”

“A pillow, thankfully.” He rumbled out an amused breath. “I merely listened to your wish, mistress, and I complied.”

“Wait, so if I asked you to have sex with me, you would’ve done it with no second thought?” She mindlessly questioned, definitely not missing the sudden tension developing in his shoulders.

Thane found himself unable to answer the question quickly. He had to firstly picture what the situation would be like, and what he really would’ve said to her invitation. Shepard is charming in her own way with the spontaneity and snarkiness, which he had to admit, he enjoyed thoroughly. But sex? It never crossed his head even once. It wasn’t meant to be an insult, but he just couldn’t… he couldn’t wrap his head around the concept of having sex with her. He wasn’t exactly a stranger with casual, meaningless tumble since his previous mistresses and masters had abused their authority to have their way with him. It wasn’t exactly something that he had enjoyed.

Shepard was becoming less of a mistress and more of a friend to him, and so he couldn’t bear the thought of tainting her that way. The word ‘sex’ also implied shared intimacy instead of just a quick one night stand, something that he had not done since Irikah.

“I have not considered such scenario.” He simply said even after all the thoughts he put.

The front door was suddenly unlocked and he was grateful for the interruption that cut Shepard’s reply short.

“Tali! You didn’t tell me you were going to come by.” She exclaimed cheerfully.

“When I heard from Garrus that you swallowed ryncol, I want to see if you’re doing fine, Shepard. But I should’ve known better that something like that would not defeat Commander Shepard.” Came the dual voice that sounded distinctively quarrian. “Is this the drell you bought?”

“Thane meet Tali, Tali meet Thane.”

Thane turned to face the suit covered alien and bowed, instinctively picturing himself blowing open her protective clothing and snapping her neck but he quickly shrugged the hostility away.

“He’s so well-mannered!” She squealed. “But I never thought you would be the type to give him a collar.” At that, she let out a slight ‘oh’ and closed the distance between her and Shepard. “Or is that some sort of stimulation choker, Shepard? The one that’s famous for grinding against their erogenous zone?”

“Real funny, Tali, real funny.” The human’s face turned beet red at the remark.

“That’s right! We all know you’re only into humans and turians!” She giggled once more. “How’s everything going with Nihlus, Shepard?” At the mention of the spectre’s name, Thane felt himself trying to restrain a displeased trill.

“I told you it was just a fling! He understood that much.” Thane once more supressed a low grumble. The two had slept together, and he wasn’t sure why he was getting so worked up for.

“Right, of course…” She grabbed her hands. “Then what about the councillor?”

“Sparatus is a _jerk_.” Shepard visibly made a disgusted face at the mention of his name. “You know full well that we hate each other. Besides, I’m pretty sure I blew any chance of reconciliation by chucking an alarm clock at him.” She chuckled. “But enough of that. I got a ping from Joker yesterday that the Normandy is ready for exploration. It’s kind of sudden but will you be free to join me?”

“Actually, I just finished what business I had, so yes, it would be my pleasure, Shepard. Who else will be there?”

“Garrus is kinda busy and Wrex is still somewhere in Tuchanka. So it’s just gonna be me, you, Kaidan and Liara for the ground team.”

“Mistress, your breakfast is ready.” Thane said as he placed the plate on the table and she let out a gasp of surprise when she saw it.

“Oh my god Thane, you’re the _best_.” She grinned and took a seat immediately. “That’s right! You should join us on expeditions! I’ve seen you on hand-to-hand, and I think you can be of some help with infiltration missions.”

“Shepard, he’s a drell… aren’t you worried?” Tali cut in before he could answer. He would’ve growled and put her in his bad book had she not managed to sound genuinely concerned for his mistress.

“You won’t even consider him a drell once you’ve sparred with him. I’m sure you’ll be knocked down to your ass in less than five seconds.” The female human commented as she stuffed food into her mouth. “Are you good with guns, Thane?”

“I have some experience with rifles, mistress, although I have yet to use the skill aside from practice.”

“Sniper?”

“Yes, mistress.” He added.

“Good, why don’t we go to the shooting range and let you choose your weapon?”

Thane’s eyes widened in surprise at the statement. She was going to allow him to wield a gun without any worry in her face. He wasn’t sure if she was being reckless or just trusting. “Are you certain, mistress?”

“Why the hell not? We can get Garrus to see how good you are. He’s our best marksman. But you’d better be really good, Thane. That guy’s getting too cocky and I want you to put a bullet in his pride.”

He could feel a smirk developing on his lips. “I will try not to disappoint, mistress.”

**Jane Shepard**

Alright. First off, she is Jane _fucking_ Shepard, that one human who had flirted with everyone in her ship and never flinch no matter how sexual of a response she would get. While it was true that she doesn’t simply sleep with anyone, she was no shrinking violet either. In fact, it was her who made the first move on Nihlus and did end up sleeping with him despite the fact that he claimed that he had no interest in human.

Hell, she had even fucked that turian councillor with a giant stick up his ass just a month ago during the biggest debate about reapers that they’ve had. He had locked the door to his office so they could have their screaming match in peace without forcing the third party to wait until they have finished. Well, he ended up dismissing her claim about reapers so she just pushed him down his stupid, _stupidly_ cosy sofa and shoved her tongue down his throat. And even as he pounded into her, they were still screaming about reapers.

But _now._ Now she found herself speechless whenever that goddamned drell flirts back. Not only _speechless,_ she always feels sweat forming on her palms and face turning a ridiculous shade of crimson. There was just something about him that makes her a giant ball of nerves that just wants nothing more but roll down the hill, away from him.

Being his wife, now that was something to _reeeaaallyyyy_ think about. At that harmless reply though, she found her mind soaring ahead of wedding, the intimate little thing called sex. What would he feel like? If his head was that smooth, what would the rest of his body be like? Would he be the patient diner who relishes every single inch of her skin or would he be the savage one who pounds into her mercilessly? He somehow strikes her as being the former, but the thought of a second, hidden face turned her on even more than necessary.

Goddamit. She hoped the drells don’t have that terrible privacy invading nose that the turians have. Either way, she would not, she absolutely _would not_ ask him about sex.

“Wait, so if I asked you to have sex with me, you would’ve done it with no second thought?” Whoops, she slapped herself internally. So much for secrecy. Really though, she didn’t want to push him into something he didn’t want. She wasn’t that blind or naïve that she hadn’t considered the possibility of people buying drell as a sex toy—she didn’t want to seem like a lust-driven owner.

It was a mighty good thing that Tali had interrupted the increasingly awkward conversation. Somehow she managed to always elevate it into a more sexual topic than she’d like it to be. Damn that sexy voice of his.

They talked for a few moments and she absolutely devoured the breakfast that Thane made for her. Sunny side up eggs with perfectly crisp bacon, a toast lavished with plenty of butter and black pepper to top it all off. If only the barbeque sauce she owned wasn’t sliced in half by Thane it would’ve been even better.

Conversation about battles had once again brought up a thought that she had been meaning to ask him: his proficiency with guns. And she was right, he was the sniper rifle type. She gave herself a cookie internally for guessing correctly.

After she finished the food, she brought up her omnitool to contact her favourite turian, since she knew it was his day off. The call was quickly answered.

 _“Jane.”_ He said over the screen, mandibles fluttering as an attempt to smile.

“How’s my bad boy doing?” She smirked, leaning back on the chair and winking at him which was quickly answered with a laughter. “Did you feed me ryncol yesterday?”

 _“It was an accident, I promise.”_ He lifted his hand as a surrender gesture. _“Hey Tali. And Krios.”_

Tali waved at the turian, saying hello. “I see you two have become buddy-buddy without my consent, huh?” Shepard chuckled at the mention of Thane’s last name. She should’ve guessed that Garrus would install a translator too to explain her sorry state last night. “Which is great, mind you. I’m thinking of taking him to the spectre shooting range today, to see what he’s made out of.” The usual shooting range was usually bustling with people, and having an armed drell would draw unneeded attention that she really didn’t need. That was why she chose to abuse her authority as a spectre to continuously utilise the area, which was to be honest, only ever be used by her and Nihlus most of the time.

Garrus let out an amusing noise that sounded almost like a whistle. _“And considering you’re telling me this, is it safe to assume that he’s a sniper?”_

“Someone who’ll put a bullet through your swollen ego.” She grinned and Tali giggled along.

 _“Well, you have quite a tall expectation there, Krios_.” Garrus teased but nodded anyway. _“Just because you’re a rookie doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you.”_

“And nor do I expect you to, Officer.” Thane replied with his hands folded neatly on his back—Shepard found the military form quite hot and she discreetly slapped herself.

_“Heh, I like him, Shepard. Cocky.”_

“What can I say, I always seem to draw the cocky ones, Garrus.” She dropped her tone and winked at the screen, followed with three sets confused eyes and she just groaned. Damn language barrier. “Alright, see you there in two hours, Garrus?”

 _“Two hours.”_ He nodded before cutting the comm.

“Damn that guy. Doesn’t he know the term ‘ladies first’? It’s always him who cuts me off first.” Shepard grumbled, scratching her head.

“I think we’re past seeing you as a ‘lady’, Shepard.” Tali commented light-heartedly.

“Yeah, yeah.” She rolled her eyes but smiling before switching her attention to Thane who was still standing stiffly next to her. “And when will you drop the ‘mistress’ bullshit, Sere Krios?”

“Keelah! He calls you ‘mistress’?” The quarian remarked with a surprised tone and started giggling uncontrollably and finally breaking into a full blown laughter with Shepard staring at her with not-so-amused eyes. “Mistress Shepard!”

“I warned you, Thane. My friends are assholes.” Thane, it appeared, also couldn’t supress a smile and a soft trill of amusement at the sight of a quarian hunching over, holding her stomach while still laughing hysterically and repeatedly muttering ‘mistress’. “That’s right, keep laughing you two. Keep laughing.” At that, she could hear a deep rumble and a chuckle that soon followed from next to her and she knew that he couldn’t hold it any longer.

The sound he made somehow comforted Shepard, and she turned her head to see him looking away, one hand on his back and the other on his full, tempting lips. And gods be damned, she was blushing _again._ _‘How old are you, Jane?_ ’ She asked herself but failed to break the sight.

“My…” He stopped to inhale and clear his throat. “My apologies, mistress. That was a little rude.”

After a long while of friendly banter and Shepard trying to translate what Thane had said, Tali decided to install a drell translator software. The two quickly exchanged some greetings, getting into an awkward conversation phase before she mentioned that she had to leave.

“You keep fine company, mistress.” The drell said while still seated on the sofa and Shepard on her beanie bag.

“Damn right I do. And I’m including you to the party.”

“You are very kind, mistress. However, I am… unworthy.” Thane replied after a moment of silence.

“Because you’re a drell?” She cocked one of her eyebrows. “Because to be honest, Thane, I don’t give two shits that you’re a drell, and nor does my friends. Damn, your species sounds fascinating. If it hadn’t been for the stupid decision made to raid a turian camp, you could’ve been free. You wouldn’t have to go through what you have.”

And it was true. Through what little moments she had observed of him opening up to him, she could see that despite the cold confidence that he carried himself with, he had sense of humour and he wasn’t afraid of expressing it. Ah yes, his confidence. She could talk about it all day and make an essay on it. God only knows what he’s been through and seen. But every move that he made, every sentence that he phrased, she could feel unwavering strength—even if he calls her ‘mistress’, it did not sound weak or submissive. As a matter of fact, it almost sounded like an honorific, like the way her crew calls her ‘commander’.

For the countless time, she found that goddamned attractive.

 _‘Fuck, this isn’t good.’_ She thought to herself as she bit her lips. _‘I’m falling for him. Hard.’_


	6. Chapter 6

Thane had never seen connection like the one with Shepard and her companions. He silently assumed that they were her subordinates, and she, their commander. However, she never acted like she was a superior—if anything, it almost seemed like she wanted them to feel at ease, and she looked at them with equality in her eyes as if they were nothing more than titles. Such humility was rare and must be treasured in times such as these, and Thane found himself enchanted by her attitude and positive outlook.

“Alright Krios, what sort of gun are you used to?” The turian’s voice was loud in his ears and he looked up to the bench to see a variety of sniper rifles laid out for his choosing. As an apprentice of the Compact, he had a few choices but alas not wide. However, his favourite one had to be the one he had acquired from one of his targets and although he had only used it for a brief moment before surrendering it to the hanar, he had grown to love the feel of it in his hands.

“M-98 Widow, Officer.” He said respectfully while being careful to not touch the weapon without being prompted to avoid alerting anyone in the shooting range, namely him and his mistress.

He let out a deep chuckle, mandibles flaring for a moment to show amusement. “Straight for the expensive one, huh? This girl packs a lot of punch.” His talons stroked the rifle appreciatively before he picked it up and offering it to him. “I’ll settle with my Mantis.”

Shepard took a seat on the crates in the corner, legs apart while slightly hunching over, both arms placed on her thighs. She placed her fingers on her chin to observe the two starting to familiarise themselves with their corresponding weapon of choice.

“What’s your secondary, Krios?” He asked once more while double checking his scope and the thermal clip.

“Submachine gun, Officer. Preferably M-4 Shuriken.” He answered shortly as he placed a clip inside the weapon swiftly and observing the cleanliness of the barrel.

“Cut to the chase, boys. Don’t keep a lady waiting.” Shepard teased, intentionally dropping her tone to a sultrier one.

“Won’t even dream of it, Shepard.” Garrus chuckled while fingers busy adjusting the distance of the target using the control. The dummy moved further away to a comfortable distance for a warmup. “Ready to roll, Krios?”

“Ready when you are, Officer.” He rumbled, closing one of his eyes to look through the scope and setting his finger on the trigger, the turian following the same fashion. He carefully stole a glance to observe his posture and was pleased to see him rather relaxed. It would be rectified soon, he smirked. He quickly ran through his memory before pulling the trigger, trying to remember the weight of it, the recoil and the force. His fingers tightened around the grip as his heart pounded in his chest.

Garrus was the first to pull the trigger and it dove straight through the target’s head. As if on cue, he followed to and was pleased when he saw he had hit the mark perfectly and he glanced at the turian who smirked back at him.

“Surely you’re not satisfied with that. Even Shepard who charges into the battlefield with a shotgun would be able to headshot that target from this distance.”

“Keep your turian mouth shut, Garrus. At least I charge forward and not shoot you in the back by accident.” She scoffed at his remark ever so humorously. “Come on, step it up before I fall asleep.”

“Anything for my favourite human.” He chuckled before doubling the target’s distance from them. “Let’s see how you this time.” He walked back to his original position to reload, and this time both of them fired almost simultaneously into the practice dummy’s head.

Shepard wolf whistled the sight, leaning back to admire the attraction in front of her.

“Not bad at all, Krios, not bad at all.” He said, straightening his rifle, finger still on the trigger as he readjusted the distance of the target once more. “But I do have to ask you something…” He muttered and Thane looked at him in question before he continued. “You’re a drell. And that stance you have in no way says that you’re an amateur. No offense, but where did you get the training?”

The drell looked at the ground for moment, relaxing his grip on the weapon and went deep in thought. It was a fair question, considering most of the population couldn’t fight to defend themselves. They were only equipped with raw strength and no finesse, hence most of the drells who attempted escapes were immediately apprehended. He was one of the selected few who got recruited into the Compact by the hanar. Originally it was meant to be a drell-centered secret organisation existed to serve the hanar. But as time went on and the slavery becoming a major problem, the objective switched.

Nevertheless, it was all part of his childhood. Let alone the turian, he had rejected to answer Shepard’s query regarding his past. He didn’t trust him well enough to start slipping into memory and enter the solipsism, so he resisted, merely shaking his head.

“I apologise, Officer but my lips are sealed.” He said softly, rewarding him with a sceptical look from the C-sec.

“Alright.” He decided to drop it, much to Shepard’s dismay. “Let’s keep going.”

**Jane Shepard**

Yeah, it wasn’t such a bad decision to take Thane into the shooting range. She could stare at him without worry of getting caught. It was like an all-you-can-stare buffet. He definitely seemed like he put on some weight although not much. She could start to see how the leather started to mould perfectly into his form, and how his…

 _‘Oh shit, I never paid any attention but his thighs…’_ She had to gulp at the sight of his muscular and irresistible thighs that ripped through the tightness of the attire. Her eyes involuntarily darted to the crook between his legs and—she mentally slapped herself. She would never admit it out loud but she has a thing or two for muscles, which is why she is still interested in humans. No other male species have the amount of body mass that she is particularly fond of.

But the sight in front of her was simply spectacular. With a little bit more weight, those leather would be tight-fitting, and the open front of the chest would accommodate him well so she would be able to see his ripped chest. Oh, how she wanted to rub her tiny little human hands all over his pectoral and muscular stomach and down to his simply tantalizing, or should she say, _thane_ talizing thighs. How very _drell_ icious.

She made a mental note to use those puns one day. But Thane definitely wouldn’t be _thane_ ful.

She had to stop herself from laughing at her own jokes and started to focus at the sight in front of her once more. He was looking through the scope with such concentration she found herself drowning in those black orbs of his. She sighed dreamily as he pulled the trigger and the bullet made a direct and precise contact with the target.

He definitely was no novice. His stance was very similar to Garrus, someone who she knew was extremely proficient with snipers. And it wasn’t a copy to impress anyone since he had settled into such posture before the turian did. She silently wondered about his past—did he receive extensive combat and rifle training? If so, by who? She was unsure about his age but one thing she was certain of is that drell commonly only lives up to 85 which means he would be born after the slavery had occurred. There was no way he would be able to train by himself without getting caught.

However, he had denied to answer her question regarding his childhood. It was fair enough if he decided that he had yet to completely confide in her after what he had been through, but she would very much like to know. Thane was a fascinating being.

She wasn’t sure how long she spent spacing off just staring at the drell but the next thing she knew was that Garrus had stepped up the challenge. Now the target was moving constantly in different direction.

“Got that one!” He grinned as he admired the neat hole through the dummy’s head and looked at Thane who was still focused on the scope. His finger tapped on the trigger a few times but did not pull it. “Giving up now wouldn’t be shameful, y’know. You—“

Garrus froze at the sudden noise and looked to the side to see he had hit the target right in the middle of its head.

“You were going to say something, Officer?” He smirked challengingly at the turian whose mandibles just flickered a few times. Shepard was still learning their gestures but she knew that what he just did expressed his awe.

“Not bad at all, Krios.” He chuckled darkly, and Shepard grinned. Garrus had just found himself a worthy rival. “Not bad at all.”

The human laughed at the sudden tension in the air and watched them walking back to the weapon bench to set their weapons there. Garrus was the first to turn back and approached her and whispered as softly as he humanly—turianly can.

“He’s good.”

“Damn good.” She purred, looking at Thane’s back. The little rectangular hole on his leather exposed a part of his muscles. “As good as you?”

“No one can be as good as me, Shepard.” He smirked, mandibles fluttering in humour. “But it’s almost suspicious how good he is with snipers. He also avoided my question earlier.”

“He refused to answer me too.” She replied softly. “I can’t help but think that he’s no normal drell. And…” She muttered, taking extra care so he wouldn’t be able to hear them talking. “He’s crazy good at hand-to-hand. Knocked me flat in about twenty seconds.”

“Damn…” He paused. “Now I’m curious.”

“Yeah, tell me about it, Garrus.” She leaned into him even more than before so they could talk in hushed silence. “He moved so swiftly and efficiently. He wasted no strength and I couldn’t hear his footsteps even when he was jumping around.” She pursed her lips together.

“And he’s excellent at maintaining poker face.” Garrus closed his eyes and exhaled gently. “To top it off, he killed all of his previous owners with no evidence that point at him. He’s damn good at covering up his tracks.” He cautiously turned his head slightly to see if he was watching, but it seemed like he was too taken with the weapon mods scattered on the bench to care. “Let’s think rationally. Drells are constantly abused and no normal people would be able to stay sane after so much. He’s got a damn good pain tolerance, Shepard…” He let silence drew between the two.

“…He’s a _fucking_ assassin.” She continued by connecting the dots.

“That’s only a speculation, but damn. That sounds impossible… I mean, spirits, he’s a _drell_.”

“Exactly, and—holy shit Thane! When did you get there?” She jerked backwards, almost fell down when she saw him behind Garrus, just standing still with his hands around his back as usual. At that, the turian also snapped his head backwards and jumped and cursed.

“I did not mean to surprise you, mistress, officer. I apologise.”

“Yeah… that’s okay.” She scratched her head nervously. “We were just doing a little… peer review. And Garrus is impressed.”

“Just a little.” Garrus chuckled. “Are you really planning on taking him on missions with you, Shepard?”

“He’s good with gun, and he’s good with his hands—“ She paused when he saw Garrus’s mandibles flickered a couple of times and she immediately stepped on his toes, making him jump once more. “Not in that way, you perv! Not everything I say is an innuendo!”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Shepard.” He shrugged, barely avoiding Shepard’s fist. “When are you planning to go?

“Tomorrow. I’m sick of this shithole and paperwork and I’m sure Nihlus is too. But he’s gotta cover my ass while I’m out there blowing things up. Not that I’m envious.” She grinned and stood up to dust her pants and walked out of the shooting range into the spectre office.

“I’m still not sure you’re allowed to let us in here.” The turian commented idly and Shepard just shrugged as she walked to the nearest requisition terminal.

“Thane, we have the newer version of Widow here if you want it.” She grabbed large weapon and passed it to the drell and he observed it closely. “It can hold twice as many clips and as far as I’m concerned it’s exactly the same as the original.”

He had no problem handling it despite its heavy weight as he tried it out on his hands, practicing aiming with the unloaded weapon. “Is it possible if we test it first?”

“I don’t think so. No refunds either.”

“Shepard, you can’t be _serious_.” Garrus cut in the conversation. “That thing will cost you a fortune! Besides, you already own the original M-98.”

“He is correct, mistress.”

“Double-ganging me. You guys are the worst. It’s not like I didn’t get my M-11 Wraith from here. It costs the same.” She rolled her eyes. “Fine, let’s go get lunch.”

The three then walked to the food court in the presidium and Shepard bought her usual hamburger set and some fruits for Thane while Garrus sat down with a steak. Oh, they definitely were getting stares from everyone who weren’t used to seeing a drell sitting on the same height with their owners, but the two blatantly ignored those watchful eyes. Thane was doing his best although he did seem a little wary by the way he kept glancing everywhere while eating.

She was glad that Thane was starting to open up to Garrus and she had to admit that the turian has this thing about him that makes people comfortable around him. You can just tell that he’s the genuine and trustworthy sort. She trusts him with her life.

They lost track of time as they drowned themselves in friendly conversation and before they knew it, it was starting to get dark. They bid goodbye soon and Shepard headed for her apartment with Thane.

“What do you think of Garrus?” She asked while balancing herself on the high corner of the partition wall along the walkway. Both of her arms were extended forward as an attempt to not fall over and embarrass herself.

“As mistress said, he is an exceptional shoot. And a very respectable man.” He bowed his head slightly while walking softly, hands behind his back. He constantly turned to watch his mistress to make sure that she wasn’t about to trip and hurt herself. “I can understand why mistress speaks very highly of him.”

She laughed at the positive response and spun around on one foot while not losing balance. She did that way too often to fail now. There would be no clichéd romance scene where the girl falls over and the guy catches her in his strong arms before leaning in for a kiss despite the fact that Shepard silently wished it so. Thane has gorgeous full lips, green on the surface and pink on the inside. She wondered if they would taste sweet like candy and what they were capable of.

Her tongue unconsciously darted across her chapped lips and cursed herself for daydreaming about the drell again. Ever so mysterious, composed and calm—she wanted to see if there was something behind that cool façade he put on.

“Then what do you think of me?” She asked out of the blue.

Thane was silent for a long while, face looking contemplative before he tilted his head up to the sky. “Is this the part where I get on one knee and propose, mistress?” His voice was husky and full of mirth as Shepard choked on her own spit and face turning beet red, then she fell.

As if on cue, Thane darted forward despite the large gap between the two and caught Shepard in his arms before she hit the ground. The human cursed and screamed silently at the sensation of his muscular hands on her waist and underneath of her knees. He didn’t flinch as she thumped full force against him and easily lifted her up, her arms curling around his neck by reflex.

 _‘Shitshitshit, he’s carrying me bridal style. Come on Jane, say something. Don’t be stupid. Don’t be fucking stupid. You’re not a highschooler in love_. _’_ She silently muffled her screams and tried her best to prevent her head from exploding at the awfully close proximity. His eyes were wide like the galaxy and she felt herself drowning in them, unable to break the sight. Looking slightly to the bottom, his lips were parted, exposing more of those pinkness that Shepard deemed irresistible and wanted nothing more than to lick and taste it. ‘ _Don’t. Be. Stupid. Jane._ ’ She chanted once more.

However, her body had a different mind it seemed as she tightened her grip hence drawing him closer to her. He did not do so much as to resist, and the next thing she realised, she was kissing him.

Her heart pounded deafeningly loud as she experienced Thane for the first time—his lips were soft, softer than hers that was for sure, softer than she could ever dream of. She was desperate for more as she pressed herself even harder against those tenderness and she moaned slightly.

Then she snapped out of her dream realm and jerked her head back. Thane almost jumped at the sudden movement and quickly put her on her feet before looking away.

“S-Shit Thane, I’m so _so_ sorry.” She stuttered, trying to explain her action but failing miserably. “That was so inappropriate, I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, mistress. _I’m_ sorry.” He replied while looking everywhere but her direction. “I should have put you down as soon as I caught you. It was my fault.”

Thane seemed just as nervous as she was although not as obvious, and she wasn’t sure whether she should be glad or not. However, she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t curious about what his true feelings were for her. Merely a mistress, a friend, or a more hopeful one, was he interested in her in the slightest?

Try as she might, it was far too difficult to try to read him and she cursed herself for that lack of ability, or maybe his skill. She was generally alright when it comes to judge someone but apparently he was an exception.

**Thane Krios**

All throughout the shooting session, Thane could feel Shepard’s continuous glance in his direction and he found himself unsure whether she was merely being cautious or it was something else entirely. He decided that the latter was a hopeful thought—there was no way the first human spectre, Hero of Citadel, Jane Shepard could be interested in someone as lowly as him, so he quickly disregarded that thought.

But that wasn’t the first time he caught her staring at him. That one time when they exited the pet shop, he felt her eyes on his bottom and a couple of times back in her apartment. Then there was the stutters whenever he replies to her flirtations with another, something that he had never seen Shepard doing with her other companions. They were too real to be overlooked.

But what happened in the evening was completely overwhelming even for him. She had leaned in to kiss him, and deepened it. Her lips were slightly chapped and rough on his, her hair tickled his forehead and her arms gripping tightly around his neck. Thane had been uncertain of the motive behind the kiss. Shepard was a big flirt, but she was no whore. She doesn’t sleep with just anyone and she wouldn’t go around kissing everyone in Citadel either.

He wanted to question her but he found himself unable to. She was actively avoiding his eyes and walked even further away from him—he respected that decision and decided to stay away for now. Even when they reached the apartment, not a single word was exchanged.

Back at her place, she immediately went into the shower and he could hear the water running while he sat down on the dining table, hands together under his chin to drown himself in memories. He thought of Irikah, and most importantly Kolyat. There had been no word of him and he assumed that he had been killed along with her. Being a drell, he had no reliable information source aside from rumours and gossips, so he still had yet to uncover the identity of the murderers. He loathed himself for his incapability to track down those killers, and despite his best effort, he couldn’t escape the grip of his previous owners when he received the slightest hints.

However, now that he has Shepard as a mistress, he might be able to investigate the group and finally put himself at rest. He would never be satisfied unless they were eliminated, and he hoped Shepard would allow him to have some time for himself to further probe around during their expedition.

He returned from the deep thoughts when he spotted her on the corner of his eyes—hair wet and she had a towel slung around her neck. She smelt very different and pleasing as she approached him.

“Here.” She placed a submachine gun in front of him along with a couple of thermal clips, and at a closer inspection it was his preferred Shuriken. “This is all I’ve got for now. Widow should be in the Normandy.”

“Thank you, mistress.” He said while stroking its cold surface.

She was silent for a moment and then she pulled back the chair next to him and threw herself on it. “Look, Thane. I want to say sorry again. I took an advantage of you.”

He shook his head at the unnecessary apology while fingers toying idly with the weapon on the table. “It is of no concern, mistress. However, I do have to ask why, if you don’t mind indulging me, that is.”

She pursed her lips together before forming an answer. “A spur of the moment, I guess.”

“Ah.” He said, oddly unsatisfied with the response he received but managed to not let it show. “I will not mention it again.”

“Right. Thanks.” She huffed while leaning back on the chair. “Alright, uhh… tomorrow afternoon we’re going to board the Normandy, just letting you know.”

“Thank you for this opportunity, mistress.” He tugged his lips to form a slight smile. “It pains me to say this but, may I ask for a favour?” He placed his still interlaced fingers on the dining table, looking at her and hoping that she would agree to his selfish request.

“Sure. Everyone keeps asking me for favours anyway. Might as well put you on the list.” She chuckled but quickly went silent. “You seem serious. What is it?”

“I am… in a search for a group of a slave ring.” He started, heart speeding up slowly while choosing his words carefully in order to not expose unnecessary information. “And in turn, looking for someone who I suspect has already been killed long ago. I am still holding out hope that he would still be alive, although I’m not sure how much that is worth anymore in these dark days.”

“Right… can you be more specific? What species is the slaver ring? Where were they last spotted? Who are you exactly looking for?” Her eyes switched in an instant from nonchalant into commanding, they narrowed at the vague data he was feeding her. “Thane, I’m not going to help you if you’re not willing to disclose this much. I need to know your motives.”

“I apologise for my arrogance, mistress.” He responded—there it was, the commander face that he knew he would see sooner or later. “The nature of this mission is vengeance. I wish to eliminate this slaver group. As for species, they are mostly comprised of turians and batarians.”

That certainly piqued her interest as she started to lean forward although still seemed to be cautious. “And who are you looking for?” She repeated.

“Someone… dear to me.” He said at least, unclasping his hands while still locking his eyes with hers.

“Okay.” She said at last after a pregnant pause. “Who are you avenging?”

“A fellow drell. She was very close with me before they ripped us apart and killed her. They were last active in Ilium, I believe. That was around one year ago.” He replied with half-truth, not wanting to mention that he had a wife. “However, I understand if you are not willing to grant me the time for investigation, and I will not insist.”

Shepard nodded slightly, fingers actively tapping on the wooden surface and she exhaled. “Information from one year ago is terribly outdated, but I’ll get someone to look into it for you.”

“You have my utmost gratitude, mistress.” He let out a breath that he didn’t realise he was holding. Even if he wouldn’t be able to find Kolyat, at least he would be able to get a peace of mind by obliterating this particular group. With his Kepral’s worsening each day, it would be a good way to end his life.

As if reading his mind, she continued. “What are you planning to do after we destroy them?”

The thought of telling the truth had not crossed his head even once. It might sound stuck- up coming from a drell, but he was certain that she would prevent him from charging alone, at least taking out the leaders before resigning himself to Kalahira’s shore. “I will be at your disposal, mistress.” He bluffed while maintaining his flat expression. Apparently that was enough to bring a smile back to her face.

“Alrighty.” She said, standing up. “Let’s watch some television. I have a movie that I’ve been wanting to see.”

“As you wish, mistress.” He said with a slight smile before getting up and followed her into the living room. She threw herself onto the sofa while Thane gently settled next to her. She typed in commands on her omnitool and soon the movie was transferred into the television.

“Which reminds me, I need to get you comm system and an omnitool.” She said, followed with a quick nod from the drell. “Right, Thane can you heat up the popcorn, please? It’s on the cabinet near the microwave. Yellow packaging.”

He immediately complied, easily finding the said object and following her instruction. It was fascinating to see the object popping in the microwave and became all puffed up as it exited. He then gave it to her, who offered him some. The taste was quite sweet, and Thane found it alright although he decided not to have much since his mistress seemed to love it—she gobbled down a handful at a time.

Both of them went deep in discussing about the movie as it progressed and had laughed at the badly done sex scene between the asari and the turian. However, what they really found compelling was that one gunfight between the protagonist and the rival character, and had spent their time talking about it and completely ignoring the disturbing sex scene.

When the ending came however, Shepard was already fast asleep on his shoulder. He didn’t dare disturb her as she snored lightly, leftover popcorn dropping from the bowl to the carpet.

“Mmmhm, Thane…” She giggled and he thought she had woken up but she was doing that very strange thing where she talked in her sleep, and he merely smiled. He could feel her shoulder nudging his when the credit rolled and tentatively placed his arm on her waist. “Mmhm…” She hummed in approval.

The drell was surprised by the amount of intimacy he was showing her. But somehow he knew that this side of Shepard only shows when she was off-duty, and he was glad that she could take time to relax without the galaxy weighing her down. He had heard a lot of stories about what she did from her turian friend and some of them were indeed, impressive. He would very much like to see her in action.

A huge question mark came into his head as he wondered about what Shepard was for him. Even when she asked him earlier, he was not able to come up with a coherent answer. She was like a friend, perhaps, and he smiled to himself at how ridiculous that sounded. A _friend._ When was the last time he had one of those? He had stopped trusting after Irikah was reported dead, and had only one focus: kill.

With that in mind, he scooped Shepard off the sofa gently, being extremely careful as to not wake her, and he placed her softly on her bed and pulling the blanket over.

Then he saw it again.

A shadow flitted across the window and he instantly _knew_ someone was there. He had trained his eyes to catch the slightest fluctuation in the air, and ears sharp for any intrusive noise. The fact that he couldn’t hear the intruder moving crossed out some potential species: turian, batarian and krogan. Their weight would make it almost impossible for them to move undetected.

The room was dark with the only light illuminating it was the one from the television. He took a step towards the living room as silently as he possibly can and kept his ears open for the slightest sound.

His head immediately turned to the front door.

He took a step forward.

He palmed the submachine gun on the coffee table and moved to the front door. There was silence, and when he stepped out of the apartment, the corridor was empty. One of the lights flickered and he could vaguely make out an odd shadow coming from…

 _‘Above!’_ He quickly sidestepped and a knife replaced the spot where he was standing at a heartbeat ago. When he looked up, the shadow quickly became a blur and it disappeared. He yanked the knife from the ground and straightaway, he saw flashes of his childhood. ‘ _Amonkira lord of hunters,’_ He chanted in his head so he wouldn’t go berserk.

‘ _grant that my hands be steady,’_ He took a deep breath as he jumped to the railing, eyes scanning the surrounding for any movement. He could feel his heartbeat slowing down as he held on to the prayer. ‘ _my aim be true,’_ He focused slightly to the left where he could see a rapid movement and a swishing noise before swinging his knife-wielding hand with an impeccable timing he could hear a loud clanking noise from metal on metal. Then the deflected weapon fell with a loud clank onto the floor.

 _‘and my feet swift,’_ He moved and jumped to the branch in the tree where he saw the shadow, but it had moved to the storey above. He took a running jump, grateful for his light weight that was still supported by the thick branch. The mysterious figure turned the corner and Thane readied himself for an inevitable contact as he approached.

 _‘and should the worst come to pass,’_ A knife was swung as soon as he turned, which he successfully deflected. His hand jabbed forward at a thunderous speed to grab his opponent’s and twisting it full force until he heard a sickening cracking noise from his bones as they scrunch and shatter.

_‘grant me forgiveness.’_

He opened his eyes wide at the sight in front of him—his head was covered but he could make out his distinguishing feature. Slim figure, familiar leather jacket and webbed fingers.

The assassin was a drell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookies if you can guess who the assassin is~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update, sorry! As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated :)

**Jane Shepard**

There was a loud noise coming from outside and Shepard couldn’t help but snap her eyes open, expecting an intruder in her apartment. But when she looked around there was no trace of life in her unit, not even Thane was there. She silently placed her tiptoes on the carpet and scanned her surroundings, one hand reaching for the Carnifex underneath her pillow

“Thane?” She whispered warily in case he was intentionally hiding, but when there was no replies, she advanced further to the front door and suddenly she could hear another clanking noise from the corridor and she immediately tightened her grip on the handgun and stepped forward, pointing it as soon as the door swished open.

Letting her biotic radiating its cool blue glow around her body, she headed for the stairs and arrived one floor above her residence in time to hear another noise that sounded awfully like metal on metal, and an agonisingly loud screeching noise from the corner. At the end of a corridor, she spotted a familiar pale green scales covered in tight black leather—his hand was gripped tightly on another and they were being awfully still. She paced towards him and saw his wide eyes; something had surprised him enough to hesitate.

Then suddenly the assailant’s foot made contact with Thane’s chest with a sickening thud, followed with an equally devastating punch that made him gag and spat as he fell to the floor, one hand on his chest, coughing uncontrollably.

Shepard charged forward as soon as she saw the masked assassin unsheathing his knife and was about to plunge it deep into Thane’s exposed head on his feet and she screamed. “Thane!!” She took an aim while running and pulled the trigger but missed. The bullet made contact with the railing next to the intruder and she could see him jumping backwards. When she arrived next to Thane, he was already gone.

“Thane! Oh gods, are you okay?” She crouched and put her arm around his back. He was still wildly coughing as his hands became limp and he fell to the floor completely. It was no normal reaction and she was immediately put on alert when he started wheezing and gasping desperately for air. “Thane! Thane!” She helplessly cried out as he continued to hack and gag in her arms until he finally became still.

She froze, and she could feel herself crumbling at the lack of movement. She feared for the worst as she turned him around to face her, and his eyes were closed. Placing her finger on his throat to detect any hints of life, her heart pounded violently in her chest. He was alive, but only barely.

She placed one hand underneath his knees and another around his back as she carried him downstairs as fast as her feet could take her. ‘ _Please, please, please, please._ ’ She prayed inside her head like never before, like there would be no tomorrow.

“Spectre!” She screamed when she got into the infirmary close to her apartment, garnering attention of shock at the drell clutched tightly in her arms. Some of them started whispering but Shepard had no time for those frivolities as she made her way to the receptionist. “Spectre, Commander Jane Shepard. Emergency. Take us in right away or I’ll fucking rip your head off and feed it to the varrens.”

The poor asari looked like a cat got her tongue as she fumbled on her omnitool to report to a salarian doctor and they were immediately ushered into an emergency room without complaints or delays.

The salarian in the room hesitated when Shepard placed the drell’s limp body on the mattress but straightened up right away at the sight of the red glow in her eyes and scars.

“He received a blow to the chest and he started coughing and gagging until he fell unconscious.” She said while standing next to Thane.

“Kepral’s Syndrome.” He answered promptly, glancing at the defenceless drell and his concerned mistress as he let his omnitool scanned his body before analysing the collected data. “The sudden contact pushed his lungs into a state of shock and it briefly shut down, now scarcely any oxygen is being processed and transported. His condition is extremely vulnerable at the moment. I would suggest medical treatment immediately.”

“Then why are we still talking? He could get worse as we delay!” Shepard yelled out, making the doctor jump back instinctively.

“Understood, Commander.” He rushed to get the nurses and they immediately began to hook oxygen mask around his nose and mouth. The salarian took more scans and x-ray of the drell, analysing it closely.

Shepard sat next to him, eyes never moving away from Thane who was lying still, chest barely heaving. His scales were paler than usual and the pinkness on his inner lips started to fade into purple, and she could feel her hands tightening and sweating at the poor condition she witnessed.

“The drell is in the developed stage of Kepral’s, lungs show terrible black spots. His sternum is also cracked and ribs dislocated due to whatever hit him. It applies pressure to his fragile lungs.” He said, showing a holo of the condition of Thane’s lungs. “Bad. He won’t survive more than a few months.”

“Well, get a fucking lung transplant donor or some shit!” She screamed, terrified at the news she just received. “I’ll pay any amount as long as he’s cured!”

“There hasn’t been enough data for a transplant.” He said, voice trembling slightly. “Drell’s immune system is extremely convoluted. They can’t accept organs from anyone else or their body will reject it, causing death.”

Shepard could feel herself crumbling to pieces at the death warrant signed by the salarian and she was at loss of what to say. She was going to lose him just when she had just met him. “You’d just let him _die_? There must be some other way!”

“I… am very sorry, Commander, but there has been no research for Kepral’s syndrome for the past century.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” She stormed towards the doctor and grabbed him by the clothes. “There must be some other way! There _has_ to be! He can’t just die… goddamit…!” She let go of him and bowed down, voice trembling as were her hands. If only she hadn’t been asleep—if only she had helped him during the fight, he wouldn’t be lying there on the hospital bed, so lifeless.

“We will try to do what’s best to make sure he is stabilised, Commander.” He said at last, relieved that the human had released him and not tried to kill him.

“Listen to me.” She said, still refusing to look at him. “If something were to happen to him,” She stepped forward, and he took a step back. “If he gets any worse…” He was backed to the corner. “I’m going to rip you apart.”

“Y-yes, Commander.” He swallowed thickly at the red eyes that glowed before him.

“Good.” She walked past him and towards the door. She couldn’t stand one more second looking at the pale figure on the mattress as she felt she was going to break down. Opening her omnitool to contact Garrus, something silky curled on her arm and tightening around it before pulling her into a corner. She struggled and immediately went for her handgun before the grip loosened and a hanar was standing behind her, making her hesitate to harm the creature.

“This one shares concern for Thane Krios.” He started in hushed whisper, and her eyes widened at the mention of his name. “This one’s group has discreetly done research into Kepral’s syndrome and found two possible cures.”

“Tell me.” She looked at the floating pink jelly in front of her, hope suddenly blossoming. The hanar knew Thane, and by mentioning a group, she suspected that they were the ones responsible for bailing him from the murder charges.

“Kepral’s syndrome can be cured by developing artificial lungs. The process is lengthy and will take around a year at the very least. A lot of resources need to be put into it.”

“One year… Thane’s not going to survive that long…” She leaned back against the wall. “What’s the second alternative?”

“A lung transplant from an immediate family member.”

“But he doesn’t have a family!” She croaked when she found out that those hopes had been crushed once more.

The hanar glowed blue briefly before reverting to its original colour. “This one knows that Thane has a son by the name of Kolyat Krios. However, it is unknown whether he is alive or not.”

“Thane… has a son?” She was stunned. How could he not tell her such important information? Did he really not trust her that much? Did he think that she was going to report it? Then it clicked. Thane had mentioned earlier in the evening that he was looking for someone who he didn’t know the status of. Could it be that it was Kolyat that he was talking about? Had he been taken by a group of slavers? “Do you have any information of his whereabouts? Please, anything will do.”

“This one heard that Kolyat Krios was last spotted ten years ago in Omega. If alive, he would be around 20 years of age right now.”

“Ten years… holy shit…” Her breath hitched. It would be nearly impossible to track anything that far back, but she knew she had to for Thane’s sake. “I… thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“This one knows that Commander Shepard is capable of achieving such task. This one is grateful that Commander Shepard is treating drells with kindness.”

She smiled at the hanar somewhat sombrely and decided to ask what was bothering her. “The hanar—your group seems to care a great deal about Thane. Who—what is he?”

The alien briefly changed hue and was silent for a long while and Shepard thought it wasn’t going to answer but it continued. “It’s a classified information. This one is not allowed to disclose such sensitive data. Commander Shepard needs to hear it from Thane Krios’s own mouth.”

Having expected the answer, she only groaned and thanked the hanar for its assistance before withdrawing outside the hospital after a glance inside the room Thane was cared in. Then she opened her omnitool to contact someone who she knew wouldn’t be asleep.

 **JS [0212]:** Tali, change of plan. We’re going to Normandy right fucking _now._ No dillydallying around  
**TZ [0212]:** Uh… okay. But why?  
**JS [0213]:** I’ll discuss it there. It’s important. But we need to get everyone there asap  
**TZ [0213]:** Understood, Shepard.

 **JS [0213]:** Garrus, I’m leaving on the Normandy now, can I ask you a favour?  
**GV [0214]:** You bet, Shepard. But why the rush? And why are you even awake?  
**JS [0214]:** I can almost see your smirk and get it off your face. This is no laughing matter.  
**GV [0214]:** Right, sorry. What is it?  
**JS [0215]:** I want you to take care of Thane while I’m away. He’s in that facility near my apartment.  
**GV [0216]:** Shepard what the hell is going on? I thought you were going to take him with you, and what do you mean he’s in the hospital

Before she could type up a reply, a call came in from Garrus and she immediately picked it up to hear a familiar voice. _“Shepard. You better explain to me what just happened.”_

“An assassin came for me while I was asleep and Thane went to take him out. Don’t know what happened but he froze, he had this surprised look on his face.” She inhaled deeply while trying to relive the memory and being grateful that she didn’t have their eidetic memory. “The assassin kicked him on the chest and his Kepral’s relapsed. A cracked sternum and dislocated ribs put pressure on his weak lungs. Now he’s fucking _dying._ He’ll only have a few months left, Garrus.”

 _“Spirits…”_ He said after a long silence, couldn’t quite believe what she had just announced. _“Shepard, are you okay?”_

“I’m okay, Garrus… but it’s my damn fault that Thane is critical.” She spat, feeling disappointed and disgusted with herself. “If only I wasn’t asleep…”

_“Shepard, you bought him so you can get some sleep! Now you’re blaming it all on your rest? It’s not your fault!”_

“I know, Garrus but it’s hard to not blame myself.” She said equally loudly, the strong wind blew her hair as her voice trembled. “Fuck…!” She cursed. “Listen, Thane has a son. He’s not sure if he’s alive or not but I’m going to look for him. He’s the only one who can help Thane.”

 _“Slow down, Shepard.”_ He said although couldn’t conceal his surprise at the statement.

“Thane told me he’s looking to kill a group of slavers who killed, I presume, his wife. They were last spotted on Ilium so that’s my best bet right now. I would imagine they’d also take his son so I’m going to go look into it now. A hanar said that drells can only accept transplant from someone that shares their blood—parents or children.” She paused and there was no response from Garrus, she continued. “I know I’m grasping at straws here but, fuck, I don’t want to lose him, Garrus. There’s nothing else I can do except this.”

 _“It’s okay, Shepard. I understand.”_ He said soothingly and she could almost feel his hand on her back. _“I’ll make sure he gets better for now, so you’d better get his son and come back in one piece, understood?”_

“Thank you, Garrus.” She said before her eyes could get any wetter than they already were, and disconnected the call. It was no time for tears. She had to head to Ilium immediately with or without her ground crews. She wasn’t sure why exactly his condition affected her so much, since they had only met for a few days but she decided to not mull over it as she quickly made her way to Normandy and contacted the rest of her ground crews to rendezvous in two hours.

“I’m going to kick your ass to oblivion if you dare die on me, Thane fucking Krios.” She muttered as she entered her skycab and headed for the docking bay where Normandy was waiting for her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your sweet supports ;o;/ I shall continue to do my best to finish this fanfic! Thank you!

**Jane Shepard**

“Hey, Commander!” Came the familiar voice from the cockpit. Shepard made her way to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Joker.” She smiled slightly at the capped pilot whose hands were busy typing away on the orange console hovering on the control system. “How’s the Normandy?”

“She’s in tiptop shape, ready for action.” He answered promptly, still issuing commands to the engine to prepare for take-off. “We’ll be granted clearance in about 90 minutes, I’ll just do some final adjustment to get her in the best shape for your first in a few months expedition. Having fun with the paperwork, Commander?”

She felt herself relaxing a little although all she wanted was to depart right there and then and not spend any more time for small talks. But Joker had been her mate since the beginning, no matter what she just couldn’t refuse their conversations. “I’m close to using those datapads as target practice. Good thing I can be rid of them for now. Kryik’s gonna have a blast covering for my absence.”

“What can I say, Commander? You’re everyone’s favourite spectre.” He chuckled light-heartedly.

“Laugh it up, Joker.” She sneered at the harmless remark. “Once I give you the signal, set for Ilium immediately. We have something big to investigate.”

“Just don’t get blown up on me. I’m sure Udina is going to be devastated.” He continued.

“Alright, funny guy.” She flicked his hat before turning around to the airlock and ignoring his protests. It swished open and entered Kaidan. He smiled at her, bowing slightly as a gesture of respect. He was wearing casual clothes with a handgun holstered on his hips. “LT.”

The two shook hands briefly. “Shepard. What’s the hurry? I thought we were leaving in the afternoon, not twilight.”

“Situation arises. Need to solve it asap.” She commented vaguely while making her way to the galaxy map, followed by the man slightly behind. “We’re heading to Ilium to find information on a slaver ring.”

He nodded in understanding although didn’t ask any question which she was grateful of. She wasn’t in the mood to recall what just happened to Thane, or start explaining why exactly she had bought a drell. Not only that, she had yet to know his attitude towards the mentioned species was. All she wanted to do was avoid conflict right now.

She hunched on the railing that separated the map from the platform with her eyes tightly shut to gather her thoughts. No one was sure about Kolyat’s status and he could be dead for all they know. Yet here she was, chasing some ghost to cure someone she just met a few days ago. He could be anywhere in the galaxy, but she didn’t feel discouraged in the slightest.

“Are we expecting anyone else, Shepard?” Kaidan asked, breaking her chain of thought.

“No.” She answered shortly. “Just you and Tali. We don’t have time to pick up the rest of the crew.” As if on cue, Tali showed up in the airlock. The crew members started to scatter and get in position as she queried about the status of their clearance. Once that was sorted, the Normandy departed.

It felt like it had been so long since she was in the ship—a good couple of months. With Saren dead, Normandy had been under extensive modification and maintenance to ensure that it remained on its excellent shape. It was only a few days ago that she received the news that it was free to fly again, and boy, was she ecstatic. She missed the slight quake on the surface as the rocket propelled the ship and sped up into the space and the hum of the engine in her cabin.

 _‘I’m not in here for a godforsaken vacation.’_ She reminded herself and she could feel her knuckles going white from how tightly she was gripping the railing. It would be a good one or two days before they arrive at Ilium, and she had no idea how she was going to spend those free time without feeling so weighed down by what just happened that night.

“Shepard, you owe me an explanation.” Tali tapped her on the shoulder gently, making her turn around. “So what’s wrong? Why aren’t we picking Liara up? I thought you’d be happy to see her again.”

“Not now, Tali. I’m competing against time.” She sighed as she stepped away from the vast map in front of her and toned down her volume. “It’s about Thane.” She started, briefly explaining the event that occurred and what she was going to do now. The quarian didn’t interrupt, but Shepard could tell that she was surprised to hear what she was trying to do for the drell.

“Keelah, Shepard. I’m sorry to hear it.” She replied at last. “But why are you going to this extent for him?”

“To be honest, I have no idea.” The commander sighed in defeat. “I just really want to sleep and forget right now.”

Tali was silent as she nodded. “Don’t blame yourself, Shepard.”

“I’ll try not to. Thanks.” She said, walking into the elevator to head for her cabin and catch up on some rest. It was surprisingly easier than she imagined it would be, maybe due to the fact that she was tired as hell. When she woke up, her Citadel-zone clock told her that it was 1430 there and she saw some pings from Garrus and became concerned.

“Garrus, is something wrong?” She said on her omnitool.

 _“Shepard, I just want to let you know that I went to check on Thane this morning. No one was doing anything about him, said that he was a drell. So I gently persuaded them to start a surgery or treatment to get his bones in place again.”_ He replied. _“I kinda held my assault rifle on the salarian’s head but that’s about it.”_

She laughed softly at the snarky comment he made and was grateful that he had taken the time to consider such thing. It was completely lost on her as she ran as fast as she could to the Normandy. “Thanks, big boy. Is he alright now?”

 _“Stabilising. His lungs aren’t being pressured anymore, at least. The doctor said that he’ll be alright in about three days. Oh, and I’m forwarding the medical bill.”_ He chuckled and she could hear a beep on her omnitool and brought it up to view a statement. _“How are you holding up, Jane?”_

Hearing her first name somehow soothed her and she sat down on her bed, one hand raked through her hair to neaten it. “I’m better. Heading to Ilium now. I hope it’ll be a smooth road.”

 _“I did some research a few hours ago and discovered some… disturbing facts about this group that you’re hunting, if I’m getting the correct information.”_ He said. _“Their location is well covered up. I contacted a turian colleague of mine earlier. Great fighter, but sorry to say this but she’s really big on drell slavery and… well, I asked for her source out of curiosity. She thought I’m also interested.”_

Shepard’s bit her lips, intently listening to Garrus. “And? Did you get something useful?”

_“Yes, well. She told me that she’s going to put me in contact with one of the dealers. Naturally, I asked her about their exact location without seeming suspicious but listen Shepard, she told me that one of their groups is located in Ilium. Comprised of turians and batarians.”_

“Holy shit, Garrus. This is a huge lead.” She could feel her heart speeding up and wished that the Normandy would too. She couldn’t stand the thought of Thane lying helpless in the hospital bed where the assassin might come back and finish the job. “What else did you find out?”

 _“I heard that they’re the top dealers for drells—real cheap. Shepard, they’re breeding them like they would a livestock. They take all the offspring and treat them to see themselves as nothing but worthless.”_ Garrus lowered his voice that she could tell that he was whispering.

The human could feel the anger boiling inside her as her fingers crumpled her bedsheet. She let out a slow growl of disgust at the statement. “Tell me as soon as you’re in contact with them. Record the call if you can.”

_“Affirmative.”_

“Garrus, I appreciate you doing this for me. And for Thane. Thanks for not questioning my motives.” _‘Because I have no idea what it even is.’_ She added in her head.

 _“You’re always out there backing us up. About time someone returns the favour.”_ Garrus chuckled reassuringly, bringing a smile on Shepard’s chapped lips _. “I’ll keep you updated.”_ He said before breaking the call and leaving Shepard alone with silence in her cabin.

She swallowed thickly and made her way to the terminal to try and keep her head busy even though she knew that it would do nothing to ease the tension she was feeling. She was restless to bring an end to the unjust drell slavery, and most importantly to save Thane. The way he acts around her made her forget that he is suffering from Kepral’s, especially the way he fights, with agility.

The door to her room swished open all of a sudden and she broke her thought as she tried to look at the uninvited guest.

“Hey, Kaidan. What’s up?” She asked, trying to conceal the bitterness in her tone although by the look of it she was failing badly.

“Sorry, am I bothering you, Shepard?” He stood in front of the door, not wanting to overstep their boundary.

The female shook her head tiredly. “No. What is it?”

“I’m worried about you.” He started, and the door closed behind him with a light hissing noise as he stepped forward and leaned against the wall on the other side of Shepard’s desk. “You look somewhat irritable. Is something wrong?”

“There’s just a lot in my head right now.” She feigned a smile, hand playing on the datapad scattered on her work table. “Once we get this over and done with, I’ll be able to breathe easier. Until then, I’m going to be a grumpy old lady swinging her walking cane at the youth.”

At that, the lieutenant chuckled, his face brightening up with relief. “So… mind telling me the details of the mission?”

Shepard exhaled loudly and pursed her lips, trying to desperately find a vague answer. “I’m looking for someone who I suspect was taken by those slavers. It’s kind of a rescue mission, I guess…”

“Is it someone I know?” His eyes shone with curiosity as he crossed his arms idly. “Or is it a non-human?”

She badly wanted to brush that question off but she didn’t like keeping secrets from her teammates. “Non-human male. Can we leave it at that, LT?” She asked half pleadingly and he, thank god, relented. Kaidan nodded before saying goodbye and walked away from her cabin, leaving her to her own devices.

After a good amount of time spent wandering around the ship and conversing with the returning crews, Normandy finally docked on Ilium and Shepard took Tali and Kaidan to start her investigation. She tried to find the asari information broker and had paid a generous amount for the leads that would take her one step closer to the target. There was no time to waste and she knew it. She needed to confirm the whereabouts of Kolyat, and fast.

Both Tali and Shepard tried hard to keep the fact that they were looking for a drell a secret, but Kaidan started to push more and more questions until the two exhaled, in the end telling him the entire thing. He looked conflicted at the news.

“You’re going this far for a _drell_? I don’t understand, Shepard. His son could be dead for all we know.” He asked the exact same questions that she had been asking herself for the past couple of days.

“We don’t know that for sure.” She replied as they walked towards the warehouse where she heard one of the slavers was often spotted. “Kaidan, don’t give me that look.” She said without turning her back, knowing that he was glaring dagger through her.

“Sorry, Shepard.” He answered. “I just… don’t understand.”

Her stop was so abrupt Kaidan almost bumped into her. With her eyes still facing forward, she firmly said. “If you are not willing to help me, head back to the Normandy this instant.”

“No, that’s not what I meant at all!” He panicked. “I know slavery is wrong, but this is _weird_ , Shepard. You don’t usually take on missions without making sure your target is alive, that’s all.”

“Kaidan, I asked myself that too. But my gut feeling is pushing me to do it, so I will follow it through. I’m not accepting any negotiations, alright?” She sighed although relieved that he wasn’t going to say that she shouldn’t save a drell.

“Understood, Commander.” He said after a long delay and they resumed the march with silence.

Once nearing the warehouse, they split up to avoid any suspicion and decided to only communicate using intercom. Shepard leaned on the wall near the door and crossed her arms, attempting friendly conversation with the salarian next to her so her presence wouldn’t seem strange.

“Shepard, I spotted a turian that matches the description.” Tali whispered promptly and Shepard gladly wrapped up the awkward conversation they were having and moved away from the warehouse door. Kaidan was standing on the stairs on the opposite side, pretending to be busy tinkering with his omnitool as the turian approached.

The human female activated the zoom function on her sentry interface just in time to see the concerned flicker on his mandibles. _‘All those times I spent around turians has paid off, it seems.’_ She chuckled to herself at the image of Garrus, Nihlus and that damned turian councillor. “Tali, Kaidan, stay put. He knows we’re watching him.”

There was no response but she could see Kaidan walking away and she knew that Tali was doing the same. She was about to approach the turian as he advanced into the warehouse but was stopped short when she felt presence behind her. In an attempt to defend herself, she turned back and kicked the intruder on the guts but wrong choice—it was a krogan that loomed over her.

She sidestepped out of the way but the mercenary grabbed her wrist and threw her to the side with a loud crashing noise. Trying to regain her bearing, she got to her feet and jumped away in time to avoid a sickening blow. God, how she wished Thane had taught her effective hand-to-hand. She moved away, having the advantage of agility in comparison of krogan and managed to lay a good hit using her shotgun on his head. She didn’t want to risk making more ruckus that would put the turian slaver on alert.

The hulking alien quickly regained himself and he turned to face Shepard who had already moved away and running away from the site. She pressed her intercom further into her ear. “Tali! Kaidan!” She hissed but there was still no response, and she could feel her heart thumping loudly at the implication. “Respond to me!” She said once more, hoping that they were merely neglecting to reply, and not because they have been taken.

“Shit!” Spitting in disgust, she looked back to see the krogan still following her and she stopped, pointing her shotgun at him, and he at her. She swore, quickly rolling to the side when he applied pressure on the trigger. When the gun recoiled, Shepard took that chance to aim and land a precise shot on his head where he stopped and fell to the ground with a loud noise.

Ignoring the terrified looks that the civilians were giving them, she stormed back into the warehouse to get the turian but when she arrived, her breath hitched.

“Hands on your head, Commander Shepard.” The batarian said, pointing his handgun on Tali’s temple, and another on Kaidan’s.

Sweat dropped from her forehead at the sight that made her sick to the stomach. They had let their guard down, thinking that the group was stupid and now they paid the price. She set her Cain and Carnifex on the ground and placed her hand on her head, not wanting worse to become worse.

“Surprised?” He laughed. “My little informant told me that you were coming.”

Her eyes snapped open at the statement—the asari information broker was working together with the slaver group and she was foolish enough to fall into the trap.

“We’ll net some good money by selling you, Shepard.” The batarian purred, making Shepard winced in disgust. “But I need to ask, what is it that you’re after?”

She spat on the ground. “Go fuck yourself. I’ve got nothing to tell you.”

“You don’t understand.” He gritted his teeth, kicking Kaidan on the stomach and making him cough. The noise he made reminded her of Thane and she had to hold back a whimper. “You are in no position to make demands.”

“A drell.” She said abruptly. “I’m looking for a drell.”

“Everyone’s looking for a drell.” He smirked, keeping his foot on Kaidan’s back. “What’s so special about this drell you’re looking for? What does he look like?”

“I don’t know.” She said honestly when she felt a hand grabbing her wrists and locked them together using tech handcuff. Those textures—a turian. However, she did not look back.

“Take her, boys. And these trash too.” He chuckled as she watched the other batarians taking Tali and Kaidan to an underground passage, and a gun barrel pointed on her back, urging her to move forward. Her scattered weapons had been collected by the turian.

The man who talked with Shepard had descended down the stairs and she could feel her captor leaning into her ear and whispered. “What will you ever do without me, Jane?” Came the familiar husky tone and her heart skipped a beat.

“Kryik. You fucker.” She whispered as softly as him, resisting a celebratory bloodbath in process. “Why are you here?”

“I’ll explain later.” He withdrew. “Move, human!” Nihlus screamed out, shoving her by the shoulder. Shepard closed her eyes and vowed to kick him on the head later before fucking him wildly when they stopped being threatened to be killed.

**Thane Krios**

He wasn’t sure how many days had passed when he opened his eyes to see the white ceiling and numerous tubes linking into his body. He could feel his breathing easing up and noticed the oxygen mask linked to him, and he immediately relaxed. He wasn’t being captured or anything, nor was he in Kalahira’s shore.

“Finally up, Krios?” A voice was audible from his side and he turned his head to face the source. “Was worried you’d never wake up.” The C-sec officer flicked his mandibles.

“Officer Vakarian,” He greeted despite being surprised that he was there. “What happened?”

“Your Kepral’s went mad a week ago.” He said as he grabbed a chair and sat next to him. “Cracked sternum, dislocated ribs.”

“I see.” He said simply but face turned into a mixture of worry and confusion a split second later. “And what of mistress?”

“Alive and kicking.” Garrus chuckled, and Thane let out a relieved trill at the news. “Though you can’t see her at the moment. She’s away looking for your son.”

At that, Thane’s eyes snapped open and he abruptly sat up. He did not recall ever telling her or him about Kolyat—how did she find out? And why did she start without him? So many questions filled his head as he watched Garrus typing away on his omnitool.

“She’s not answering my calls. Probably busy blowing things up.” He looked up to see the drell deep in thought and sighed. “Calm down, Thane. She’s not angry that you kept this a secret. In fact, she’s out there risking her life to get you a cure.”

“There is no cure for Kepral’s, Officer.” He said, removing the mask from his nose and felt his breath starting to become more ragged.

“Not that you know of.” The turian replied, garnering his interest. At the soft noise he made, he continued. “Your hanar buddy found ways to cure your Kepral’s. One of them involves a lung transplant from an immediate family member.”

Thane sighed in resignation at the news, something that he knew Garrus was surprised at. “I’m sorry, Officer. I haven’t seen my son ever since he was barely one year old. He wouldn’t remember me, nor would he be willing to give up one of his organs for someone who is merely a stranger in his eyes. And even if he would, there is no guarantee that he is alive.”

“But Shepard is eagerly taking the chances.” Garrus replied firmly. “She doesn’t want you to die, and that alone should make you want to live.”

“I have killed many, Officer. I deserve no less than death.” His wide black eyes stared back into the turian’s narrow ones, and he could see his mandibles moving slowly. “I will not sacrifice another to selfishly prolong my life.”

“Eight people is hardly a lot, Krios.” He said in denial but after he saw the dark look Thane gave him, he didn’t continue. The drell put his glance away from him and focused on the white wall in front of him. “How many?”

“I stopped counting at fifteen years old.” He flatly added while trying his best to not drown inside the memory. “And I am above forty now.”

“Thane, what exactly _are_ you?” The turian lowered his voice into a whisper. He let out a rumble that the drell could only classify as reassurance—perhaps as an implication that he wouldn’t arrest him despite being a C-sec. However, he still did not wish to disclose such personal event of his life.

“I will tell you when the time is ripe.” He merely said. Suddenly, Garrus’s omnitool rang and he announced that it was Shepard calling him, so he turned around as he accepted the call so she would be able to see him.

 _“Hey handsome. Sorry I didn’t call you earli—Oh, fuck. Thane.”_ She cursed as soon as she saw the drell, and Thane had to suppress an unpleasant, deep trill at the sight of his mistress only covered in blanket while sitting on Nihlus’s lap. He knew Garrus would be able to hear his noises and he didn’t want anyone to assume anything.

“I see you didn’t waste any time getting laid. Good thing I sent him to you, huh?” His mandibles flared in amusement.

Shepard tried to get off Nihlus and accidentally shoved him off the bed, making him fall unceremoniously onto the floor. _“Shit Nihlus, sorry. I didn’t mean to push you that hard.”_ Thane could visibly see the red tinge on her cheeks as she regained her composure. _“Thane! I see that you’re up. You had me kinda worried there, you know.”_

“Kind of?” Thane let a smile blossom on his thick lips. “From what I heard from Officer Vakarian, mistress immediately went to the Normandy to look for a cure.”

Her face turned beet red immediately and Garrus had to choke back a laughter at the reaction he had never seen on Shepard. She quickly clutched on her blanket tightly, covering more of her skin to hide the embarrassment. _“W-well, anyway! I did manage to find something about the group that took your son.”_

“Is he alive?” Thane quickly changed his expression at the mention of Kolyat.

 _“Unsure at the moment. But I’m still going to follow up on the clues we extracted.”_ She said. _“And Garrus is trying his best as well.”_

 _“Although I am uncertain why you would neglect to mention that you have a family_.” Nihlus added, despite not understanding drell language.

“I apologise for the deception.” Thane calmly explained. “I assure you that I have no ill will or distrust. I just didn’t want to sound like I am begging for investigation. After all, I am unsure whether or not he is still alive.”

Shepard translated what she heard to the other spectre and he nodded in understanding. _“It’s all good, Thane.”_

“Although I hope you would be so kind as to allow me to join, mistress. This mission is my request, and I should be there to provide support.”

 _“Thane, you should just stay there and let me handle this. I’ll be okay by myself.”_ Shepard sighed.

“Mistress, I insist. I am well enough to fight. Please allow me to help you.”

“Shepard, you know, something tells me that that he’s not going to back down.” Garrus said with voice half humorous. It was right, Thane decided. He knew that he would relent if Shepard used her position as a mistress to issue an ultimatum but at the same time, he also knew that she wouldn’t do such thing so he dared to persist.

Dramatically exhaling, she nodded with a heavy head. _“No heroics, Thane.”_

“Anything for you, mistress.” He chuckled slightly, once more turning her cheeks awfully red. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but he was enjoying how flustered she gets whenever he tries to sweet talk or flirt with her.

“You’re an unstoppable force, Krios. I’ve never seen Shepard blush so much in one conversation.” Garrus winked at the female and straightaway, a barrage of curse was thrown at him.

 _“Alright womaniser. I’ll drop by Citadel again to pick you up. You better be ready.”_ She grumbled and Nihlus just gave her a questioning look although looked as amused as Garrus was. Then she cut the call.

Thane let out a small trill of laughter before it quickly dissipated. He decided to ask what was bugging him. “Officer, is Sir Kryik and mistress—“

“No.”

“I haven’t finished my se—“

“No.” He cut once more and the drell quickly fell silent, looking at him in enquiry. “Don’t mention Shepard and relationship in one sentence. They just don’t mix well together. Kryik and Jane are, as humans say it, friends with benefits.”

Understanding completely what he meant, Thane nodded. “I see. Then what of you and mistress? You two seem particularly close—moreso than the two, from what I gather.” He could feel a soft throbbing in his heart as he tried to phrase the word that would follow. He wasn’t sure why exactly Shepard’s relationship status interested him so. Perhaps because he was starting to get attached to her, and would like to know more about her? “You two suit each other.”

Garrus burst out laughing at the sentence, taking Thane completely by surprise. “Spirits. I pity the poor fool who’d date her. She walks with, no, runs into death every day. If I was to be together with her, I think I’d die from heart attack considering the amount of time she’d charge a charging krogan—not saying that I don’t now. But it certainly would be more lethal if I was.” His mandibles flared in humour.

“Still, we all know that she only has to say the word and half of the galaxy would be lining up outside her door. And you gotta fend them off her. Not that it’d do much good.” Garrus continued before nudging him lightly. “Interested, Krios?”

If he was talking or eating, he would choke on it right about now. He could feel his frills reacting strongly to the harmless, possibly rhetoric question, and it baffled him. However, he quickly covered up any slightest fluctuation in his expression with deadpan humour. “I don’t kiss and tell, Officer. Perhaps I’m gathering information on any potential rivals I might have.”

The turian stared at him in silence.

“My apologies. That was a joke.”

“Right. Of course.” He let out a rather nervous laughter. “Kiss and tell? Did you and Shepard…”

“Human idiom, I believe.” He quickly said although a recollection of that time surfaced in his head and he couldn’t help but fall into solipsism. _“Her lips, chapped and rough just like the skin tainted with scars on her back. Amber hair like blaze tickles my forehead as she drowns herself in my lips. So desperate; so tantalizing just like a siren’s lullaby trying to ensnare her prey. Eyes snapped open, brown orbs looking deep into mine and we pull away.”_

Garrus’s jaws fell open at the sudden confession he received and he tried to say something but his words failed him.

“I… I apologise, Officer. I did not mean to slip into that state.” Thane started at the flabbergasted look the turian gave him. “I assure you, we did not have any more intimate contact afterwards _. The conversation from the movie merely a background music as she drops her head, hair caressing my shoulder. Smell of flowers and sweets invades my nose. She hums in her sleep, voice so gentle and expression content. ‘_ _Mmmhm, Thane…’ She calls out my name and I could not help but slip my hand around her back, to her waist.”_

Garrus looked like he needed a drink before lying down. Thane almost facepalmed himself right there for letting a second solipsism overtook him. “Spirits, Krios… How did you manage to be all touchy feely with her so quickly?”

The drell hesitated at the question. He wasn’t sure himself what had drawn Shepard to him. He might be exotic, but he didn’t think that aspect even mattered in her eyes—those who think that it does might have a really skewed perception of her as a woman. Sure, he managed to open up to her, but that doesn’t mean that he had stop drawing a line between them—he had refused to answer her questions and…

“I do not understand either, Officer. I attacked and harmed mistress on the day she purchased me. I cannot think of any plausible reason as to why she would be fond of me.”

“You attacked her?” Garrus narrowed his eyeplates in interrogation. “What did you do to her, Krios?”

“I went berserk.” He calmly explained. “I have always associated knives with massacre and murder, it’s no understatement when I say that whenever I hold a knife, it’s a second nature to drain myself off emotions and eliminate anyone in my way. I had thought that she would tell you about this incident.”

“No, damn it. She didn’t.” The turian eyed him warily and posture stiffening. “Was it a bad injury?”

“She stopped the plunge of my knife using her palm.” He answered obediently although he flinched away at the memory—something that he vowed he would never do again to her.

In an instant, Garrus stood up and jabbed his hands forward. Thane’s first instinct was to deflect the sloppy attempt and land a blow on the side of his unplated neck to disorient him before snapping it. But he held back with all his might, fingers twitching when denied. Causing any harm to the turian would be another form of hurting his mistress, and he would not do it, not even in the name of self-defence.

Garrus’s clothed talons pulled him by the collar to make his eyes level to his. “Never again, Krios.”

“Yes, Officer.” He replied, refusing to show any sign of weakness in front of him. He wanted the turian to know that he wasn’t taken by surprise, merely resigning himself.

“I might not be able to stop you.” He admitted. “You are no normal drell, I know. A mercenary? An assassin? Doesn’t matter. You won’t be able to run from us for long.”

“Yes, Officer.” The drell said, hands still limp on his side as a gesture of submission. He had no doubt that he wouldn’t be able to hide from her friends, no matter how good of an infiltrator he is.

“Good.” Garrus nodded, letting go of his hands and turned his back, walking away from the hospital room.

Thane inhaled deeply when he left. He knew that he would need to watch what he does around Shepard to avoid further conflict. She had been quite merciful that she hardly ever went anywhere near that topic, but maybe he wouldn’t get so lucky the second time.

He rubbed his neck, but the attempt was stopped by the collar. It was quite tight fitting it made it harder to breathe. He wanted to ask Shepard if she would allow him to remove it, but after further consideration, he let such petty thought go. Somehow he knew that she would be terribly offended if he still considers her someone who would force such superiority onto him. So without further thought, he unclasped the leather choker and let it fall onto the floor.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The romance is building up at last! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you for all the kudos and your time to give me feedbacks <3

**Jane Shepard**

With her omnitool and intercom taken away from her, Shepard could only sit in silence. Kaidan was in the cell next to her but any slightest noise would be enough to draw attention to them, and she really didn’t want to be whipped around anymore. She was bare, only covered in thin layers of bra and panties, her body heavily scarred and mouth tasted like metal that is blood. Tali, thankfully, still had her suit secure in place. She wasn’t sure how she’d be able to cope knowing that she would die off infection.

It had been a good five days without proper meal or water for her, and she started wondering where Nihlus had gone off to. He hadn’t explained further than taking the position and ID of one of the turian slavers to save her ass from total doom, and she really couldn’t wait any longer. Although she did have to be grateful that he came. It also didn’t help that she lost access to her translator so she couldn’t figure out what any of those aliens were saying.

A batarian rumbled deep, grinning as he opened the door to her cell and dragged her out by the hair. She hissed in pain but otherwise made no aggressive move that would provoke beatings. He let out another series of nonsense and spat on her face, making her stomach almost churn and twist in disgust.

Two turian followed closely behind her with assault rifles in hand but none of them looked remotely similar to Nihlus, and she started to get awfully nervous about her chances of getting away. Not too far from her, Tali and Kaidan followed with their hands still tightly secured.

All three of them were thrown into the back of a batarian land vehicle that looked similar to a truck but Shepard had no chance to look up before her hair was once more roughly pulled by a turian already in it. They exchanged a brief conversation with her captor holding a weapon to her head before the door was shut tight.

“Fuck!” She snarled and snapped her head up only to be hit across the cheek.

“Kssh kblah teifa iu, Shepard.” He whispered really, really softly before pressing an object into her ear. “Sorry, he’d get suspicious if I don’t do that.”

Her frown quickly turned into a smirk at the sight of the unmistakable Nihlus in front of her, although marking tactically concealed, making him seem like a completely different person. But that tone of voice she would never associate with anyone else. She turned her head to Kaidan and Tali who were still cautious. “Nihlus Kryik.” She leaned into them and said. His eyes widened at the mention of the spectre name and quickly nodded in gratitude, as did Tali.

He pulled out a small pocket knife from his armour and slipped it inside Shepard’s hand. It was built very slim, protected with a layer of silicon which she deemed safe to put on the underside of her bra. “They’re taking you to a buyer.” He said softly. “Far away from the base. Clients requested privacy. No contact will be made. Perfect for ambush.” Nihlus continued while checking the thermal clips in his rifle to create excess noise so it would overwhelm their conversation.

Shepard nodded and quickly pressed her forehead against the turian’s, making him purr in approval and mandibles flicking happily. The vehicle shortly moved and all of them were seated in silence most of the time, although they did to play their parts. Nihlus landed a few good beatings on her although he was definitely holding back, and careful to not hit any sensitive areas.

She was surprised to see that her buyer was a human male, accompanied with two krogan bodyguards. The batarian and he talked privately in hushed whisper before they sealed the deal with a traditional handshake. Nihlus was closely behind her, assault rifle gripped tightly.

“Jane, you have to go with the human. I’ll take out the ring leader once he’s let his guard down.” Nihlus whispered and rubbed the back of her shoulder soothingly.

“Fuck that, Nihlus. Let’s kill them while they’re bunched up.” She said in objection, wanting no more than slaughter the bastards that captured her.

“I’m only one person, and you three are unarmed. We won’t last.” The turian said while fiddling with the tech-generated handcuffs around her wrists, weakening it and in turn unlocking the biotic into her body. “I’ve overridden the security on your shackles. You should be able to free yourself quite easily. Be careful of the krogans, Jane. Don’t do anything reckless.” He quickly became still when he noticed the batarian walking towards them.

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and shoved her forward to the human, he said something that she didn’t care to remember. Anger was clear in her eyes and he pretended to struggle against her handcuffs while snarling at her buyer. He shot her a victorious look at the futility of the attempt, and she couldn’t wait to make him choke on his own blood.

“Now, we’ll kill these guys in front of the bitch.” The batarian said, pointing at her two companions. She immediately snapped and turned her head to face the slaver.

“Affirmative.” Nihlus calmly retorted and readjusted his gun in Tali’s direction

Shepard could feel her blood boiling at the sight. Nihlus wouldn’t fucking _dare_ , would he? What if he was in cahoots with the slavers all along and was only playing her? A mix of sickening assumption swirled around in her head as she gritted her teeth in fury. The turian didn’t even glance at her while the batarian was laughing hysterically. But she believed him—he wouldn’t harm any of her friends.

Suddenly, she could hear a snapping of a neck behind her and when she looked back, the human had fallen to the ground with a loud thud. His two bodyguards turned around as soon as they could only to be greeted with silence. Then, she felt a breeze next to her as the krogans were disarmed swiftly and shotguns kicked away. A gunshot from the back and she saw Nihlus had shot the batarian’s kneecap and he was hunching down in pain. There was a loud ticking noise—a bomb. She immediately rolled to the side in time for the explosive to detonate, sending the two krogans screaming in the area.

They refused to go down, Shepard grabbed the hidden knife in her bra and moved while they were disoriented to stab one of his eyes messily before pulling out and bringing the weapon down on his forehead numerous times until he fell cold onto the grass. She loaded her fist with biotic glow as she slammed the second krogan right on the face before unleashing her heavy throw.

There was utter silence as blood started to soak her feet. She looked around and spotted someone crouching on the tree branch. Not just someone; a drell.

“I have been watching you, Commander Shepard.” He said with similar husky tone as Thane’s, although his was much lighter and less hoarse. His scales glittered with various hues and neck blue in comparison to Thane’s red.

“Who are you?” She narrowed her eyes at the sight. “What business do you have with me?”

“You are fighting for a drell.” He pointed out simply although still wary of the gun pointed at him by the turian. Shepard gestured for him to lower the weapon, which he tentatively complied. “That alone is a sufficient reason for me to rescue you. The turian would have killed your friends had I not interfere.”

She shot a dirty look at Nihlus who became still, hesitantly saying, “The galaxy needs you, Shepard. We can afford a few casualties.”

“Fuck you, Nihlus!” She screamed in anger, stomping towards him. “I trusted you! I convinced myself that you wouldn’t pull the trigger!” She grabbed Kaidan and Tali’s hands and helping them to stand.

“You are too reckless! You would die if I didn’t come after you. You shouldn’t have tackled this mission without someone who can think level headedly.”

“And that someone is _you_?” She grabbed him by the armour although he quickly gripped her wrists and pushed her away. His eyes burned with anger and hurt just like in hers. “Shit…” She cursed and turning away. “Sorry. I sound like an ungrateful bitch right now.”

Nihlus got to one knee to tightly bind the batarian’s hands, ignoring the curses he screamed and looked at Shepard. “Doesn’t matter. We got the leader. Now we can figure out where they keep the drell you’re looking for.”

“You are looking for Kolyat Krios.” The drell said.

“You know where he is?” She looked at him, and he was silent with eyes scanning her. Then the alien jumped off the tree branch and walked towards her while still keeping his guard on.

“No, but you are playing a dangerous game.” He explained, making Shepard cock one of her eyebrows. “Does your companions understand our language?” Shepard shook her head while maintaining eye contact so she wouldn’t be seen as suspicious. “The drell you are trying to save is Thane Krios. An assassin.”

She narrowed her eyes when her assumption had been correct. Thane was an assassin before he was forced to become something much less. “What do you know about him?” She feigned ignorance, hoping that it would work.

“He is ruthless. Feared. His only weakness was his wife and his son. He killed many slavers, freeing the drells.” He continued at Shepard’s silence. “The slavers want him _dead_ —they want any revenge they could take. If Kolyat is alive and they have him, he will not be a sane man.”

“You have no right to stop me. Tell me, do you consider it mercy if I choose to leave him be?” The human stepped forward, challenging him. “Not for him, not for Thane, and definitely not for me. If I don’t have a strong confirmation that he’s dead, I will not back down.”

The drell seemed to be deep in thought. Shepard knew that he had no intention to stop her, he only wanted to warn her regarding the danger that loomed. But she needed no telling that it was going to be a rough mission. She had only wanted to find Kolyat, now she was tempted to destroy the slaver ring after the treatment she received while in custody.

After a long silence, he finally nodded. “Then I wish you luck, Commander.”

“I appreciate it.” She returned the gesture and extended her right hand to shake his, but he flinched away and giving her his left instead. Shepard cocked her head to the side, wondering if it was a drell culture to shake hands with left hand, but she complied anyway. “You know my name. It’s only fair if I know yours.”

Once again, he seemed reluctant to respond to her. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, and for a second Shepard decided that he wasn’t going to answer, but he did as he withdrew his hand. “Feron.” He said shortly before quietly walked away.

Shepard then turned around and cracked her knuckles at the sight of the batarian on his knees, hands tightly bound together and Nihlus pressed a gun on his temple. “Now what kind of information will I get from you?”

She interrogated the alien for a good few hours, extracting all he had to offer although she soon found out that he didn’t know anything much. Gesturing at the turian spectre, he pulled the trigger and let his lifeless body fell to the ground. Nihlus then took over the truck and they drove back to the camp, stopping a distance away to sneak inside, gathering their confiscated belongings. Tali had been rejoiced when she got her translator back and she expressed her gratitude to the spectre despite his attempt to shoot her.

Once completely armed, it was quite simple to destroy the rest of the slavers in the base. Shepard was especially glad that she was able to exact her revenge by charging forward and using her shotgun to smack everyone across the face. The team found two drells locked inside a cell and it took her an excruciatingly long while to reassure them that she wasn’t going to lead them into a trap.

“Geez, Commander! You could at least tell me if you’re going to get abducted.” Joker complained when she stepped behind him, rewarded with a slap on the back of his head. “Ow!”

“Where are you going to take the drells, Shepard? It’s way too dangerous for them to stay in the ship.” Tali started.

The human contemplated on the limited options she had. “I’d have to ask Thane, I suppose.”

She said nothing more as she looked at the two drells, still avoiding her glances and occasionally fidgeting. She sent them with Tali for a little tour around the ship and to take them into the crew quarter. Then, she walked into her cabin, groaning at all the dried blood sticking to the underside of her armour. She unclasped them, letting them to fall with a loud clank before stepping into the bathroom to have a hot shower.

“Kryik.” She smiled slightly at the turian sitting on her work desk, her one hand busy rubbing the dry towel all over her drenched hair. He nodded at her although saying nothing more than shooting her a glance. “Sorry for my outburst earlier. And in case I haven’t said it…” She cleared her throat and turned away. “Thanks.”

She could hear heavy footsteps as he approached her. Then, two arms snaked around her waist and a plate rested on her shoulder. “I’ll forgive you after my reward.”

The human chuckled and turned around, ignoring the beeping on her omnitool as they devoured each other. It feels like it had been so long since she last had sex, and it doesn’t help that all she could think of whenever she was with that goddamned Thane Krios was alluring thoughts. She had to be careful around him so she wouldn’t accidentally spout blatant invitation to her bed, as she knew that he wouldn’t try to deny her. It was no self-glorification—more like she thought he would treat her proposal as an order.

“Fuck.” She moaned into Nihlus’s mouth. All she could think about right now was kissing Thane, and not the gorgeous turian in front of her. She remembered the softness and the warmth of his lips, the pinkness on the inner folds and his hot breath against her.

Even as he started pounding into her, she clung onto him tightly while imagining that it was Thane fucking her, his thick erection slamming into her with passion. And when she found her completion, she _almost_ screamed out the drell’s name.

So it all came down on her when she saw him on the other side of the call, sitting with Garrus, his expression unreadable. In the spur of the moment, she shoved Nihlus away and making him fall head first on the floor. She could hardly keep her composure as they exchanged words, stylishly ignoring the amused looks given by the two turians as she stammered and blushed.

Somewhere in the corner of her head, she convinced herself to stop dwelling on the foolish crush. She told herself that he was only a drell, unworthy of her time. What would the galaxy think of her when they found out that their saviour, Jane Shepard, is dating a _drell_?

But she quickly closed herself off those vile thoughts. It wasn’t as if she was looking for a commitment. She was curious, surely, and nothing beyond that. Maybe once she has a taste of him, the craving would stop. With that locked in mind, she pounced Nihlus who just got back to her bed.

“Round two.” She grinned while silently hoping that she would forget about Thane.

**Thane Krios**

He wasn’t exactly sure what treatment had been done on him in the hospital, but he could feel his breathing getting less forced and ragged. His chest wasn’t as tight as it used to be, allowing him to endure much more before starting to pant during his daily exercise. He was just outside Shepard’s apartment, jabbing his fists and practicing his kicks when he noticed someone approaching him.

“Officer.” He greeted while not breaking attention from his routine. Left, right, left, right, feint, right, right, feint, uppercut. “What brings you here?” He roundhouse kicked the air and landed to face the turian who had his arms crossed, watching him intently.

“Got a call from Jane. She wants you to get an omnitool. Quote, the fucking drell is like a slippery fish, I need to keep an eye on him or he’ll swim away, end quote.” He chuckled, doing a poor mimic of her voice and bringing a slight tug on Thane’s lips. “Then we need to get you some sort of armour. Quote, he also needs to cover his magnificent butt, end quote.”

He let out an intrigued trill at the statement and smirked slightly. “Would she like me to cover my crotch area as well, Officer?”

Garrus lowered his eyes to see the shapely bulge on his tight leather and clicked his tongue. “Yeah, you gotta ask her that. Although I think she enjoys ogling it.” Garrus grinned, elbowing the drell playfully. “You’re not wearing your collar.”

“Indeed.” He nodded, clasping his hands together on his back. “It’s harder to breathe with it on. The item is designed to choke, after all.”

“I don’t understand why she would make you wear it in the first place, anyway.” Then he made a soft ‘oh’ noise and growled. “Is it because you attacked her?”

“You are mistaken, Officer.” The drell shook his head in denial. “Mistress did purchase it, but she didn’t make me wear it. It was my own initiative. In fact, she was quite opposed to the idea.” He looked into his eyes in curiosity before continuing. “I have to admit that after what I’ve done, it wouldn’t be strange if she had forced it on me. So your assumption is not baseless.”

Garrus started walking forward and Thane trotted closely behind, footsteps so silent he found the turian looking back to confirm whether or not he was following. “No, I should’ve known better than to accuse Shepard. She’s never been the one for slavery and extreme superiority.”

“She is not quite what I expected.” Thane said, hands still folded together and continued when Garrus looked back, giving him a questioning look. “The rumours surrounding her make her seem more of a renegade. And I have to admit that I had imagined that she would be quite arrogant.”

“What kind of rumours have you heard, Krios?” Garrus chuckled at the response. “That she sacrificed thousands of her own people to save the council?”

“Yes.” He confirmed softly. “Then I heard that a human had stepped up as a member of the council. I assumed that she planned to earn their favour by sacrificing others. Some had also gossiped that she’s trying to enforce human superiority.” He explained. “But that’s not the case.”

The turian let out a small subharmonic that Thane could catch, understanding it as an amused remark. “Infatuated aren’t we?”

“You are mistaken, Officer.” He said gently. “I have no romantic interest in her.”

“Not at all?” The turian asked calmly although a tinge of surprise was in his tone. “The way you two tease each other during the call says otherwise. I think Shepard has some… curiosity.”

“Curiosity is an ambiguous notion in this context. Just because she feels that way towards me, or I for her, does not mean that we share a common affection.” The drell responded and Garrus only nodded in understanding. “And although I have to admit that she is a fascinating woman, it would be rather inappropriate if I start developing feeling that goes beyond friendship.”

“Why?”

“I’m a drell.” Thane voiced what he truly felt. It wasn’t like he had any interest in going further with his mistress, but the thought of it was enough to make him shake his head. She’s _the_ Jane Shepard. Saviour of Citadel, a hero to the council. Even if by some miracle she insists on having something more going on with him, he wouldn’t want to taint her title. Someone as powerful and respected as she is deserves to be with someone of her own position—maybe someone like the turian spectre. “Won’t it bother you if she ends up in my arms?”

Garrus shrugged in a very human fashion at the statement. “Do you think Jane would care about your species? If she likes someone, she goes for the kill. And well, you’re not a bad guy, Krios.” He said carefully. “There’s still a lot that you’re hiding from us, but I can tell that you genuinely care about her. As long as someone’s there to catch her when she’s falling, I won’t complain.”

Thane was surprised by the amount of casualness he displayed at the topic but decided to not carry it on further. Shepard is a woman of freedom—she takes pleasure where she can. If she really was interested in him, he would imagine her proposing a one night stand instead of a relationship.

He ignored the strange look the bypassers were giving him—a drell running free without a collar. He could also tell that Garrus also tried his best to conceal the discomfort although he wasn’t doing such a good job of it. He offered to put back the collar but the turian had said that it wasn’t necessary.

After purchasing an omnitool and a simple, lightly armoured cloak, they went to get a treatment to unlock his biotic. Of course with a baffled look from the salarian.

“Normandy is approaching the docking bay.” Garrus said after he looked at the pings on his omnitool. “We’d better get your gun and head straight there. Shepard doesn’t want to waste her time.”

They headed back to the apartment to grab the fully loaded Shuriken and to equip his newly purchased armour. It was a black cloak that matched the colour scheme of his leather with shoulder pads that clasped around his arms. He tested the barrier function and was pleased when it worked perfectly. He also tinkered with his omnitool on the way to docking bay, trying to get accustomed to it.

“Thane, Garrus.” Shepard greeted in front of the airlock to the Normandy.

“What, Krios gets mentioned before me now?” The turian feigned disappointment. Shepard only laughed at the childish remark. “Shepard, you _stink_.”

“What now?” She narrowed her eyes and tried to smell herself but to no avail. “I always smell like this.”

“You smell like turian semen.” At the horror that Shepard displayed, Garrus’s mandibles flicked. “Just joking.”

“Fuck off!” Her face turned red and she discreetly stole a glance at Thane who didn’t seem fazed. “But thanks for sending him after me, Garrus. He helped a lot.”

“Anything for my favourite human.” He smirked and Shepard laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm.

“Thane, you can go in first. I’ll be there soon.” She smiled and Thane complied, familiarising himself with the airlock. “You sure you can’t come, Garrus?”

“Sorry, Shepard. I still have to investigate a case within C-sec. Maybe next time.” Garrus leaned in and whispered something, or at least attempt to, Thane could still hear it anyway. “You sure you want to keep his magnificent butt covered? What else will you ogle?”

Despite the redness developing on her cheeks, she smirked and said, “His magnificent thighs?” And the drell let out a soft trill that is not audible for human ear but clear for turians. Garrus looked over Shepard’s shoulder and smirked at the green alien, and to his horror, winked. “See you later then, handsome.” The human tapped him on the shoulder and walked towards Thane. “How are you doing?”

“I’m well, thank you for asking, mistress.” The drell regarded with his usual posture.

“I saw you froze that night. What happened?”

“I caught a clear view of the assassin, although not the entirety of his appearance. Refresh my memory, mistress, but you never told me what group is targeting you.” Thane enquired as the airlock procedure completed and they walked into the ship.

Shepard pursed her lips together before answering, hoping that her vague response will pass. “Uh… some classy information broker group...”

Thane stopped on his track and looked at her with narrow eyes, as if saying ‘mistress no’ and she let out a small nervous chuckle. The half-hearted answer made wariness settle in his head, everyone, even the drell knows what kind of group would be able to afford high calibre assassins that would make the mighty Commander Shepard tire and hire guards. “Allow me to confirm this, but you are being hunted by the… Shadow Broker.”

“…Yeah.”

“That is problematic indeed.” He said tentatively, silently wondering what kind of line Shepard had crossed. “But the assassin they hired this time… he is a drell.”

Shepard resumed her advance to the private terminal next to the galaxy map and Thane followed her. “A drell? Did you catch any distinguishing feature?”

“No, although I might’ve made him one.” He replied, making Shepard cock one of her eyebrows questioningly. “I shattered his right wrist. It would be impossible for it to be healed through medigel alone. He would require a proper surgery for it to function correctly again.”

“Krios.” Nihlus appeared from the elevator and approached him. “I heard what you did to protect Jane. You have my thanks.” He started, stretching his hand towards the drell.

“It’s my pleasure, sir Kryik.” He said without any regard whether he had bothered to install a translator or not as he greeted the outstretched hand with his own. Such gesture was quite odd coming from someone of his position and for a drell, but he dispose of the thought. He could still feel Shepard’s eyes on them and she suddenly narrowed her eyes.

“Thane, which hand does drell offer in a handshake?” She whispered.

“We have a similar culture as humans in this case, as far as I’m aware. Right hand is deemed more polite, and much more used.” He looked at her curiously, trying to think of a reason why she brought it up.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” She let out a barrage of curse that confused him, and she shot her eyes at Nihlus. “That Feron guy we met. Didn’t he refuse to give his right hand?” The turian nodded in confirmation although still wasn’t sure what prompted the memory. “And he knows we’re looking for Kolyat. He also _knows_ that I’m with Thane. He can’t just coincidentally be _there_ , ready to save my ass. He would’ve followed me somehow.”

Thane frowned at the confession and his mind was immediately put on alert. “Feron? Did you say Feron, mistress?”

“Yes, that really colourful drell.” She said, extremely agitated. Nihlus only observed the exchange with curious eyes. “He mentioned what you were. He seems like he’s familiar with you.”

Thane drooped his eyes. Had he told her that he is an assassin? “Feron. That is a familiar name from my childhood. A drell infiltrator.” He eyed the turian cautiously, gauging his options. “Mistress, if you don’t mind, may we do this conversation in private?”

Shepard looked at Nihlus and sighed, the turian received her message and quietly made his way to the cockpit. “Let’s do it in my cabin.” She said, pulling Thane into the elevator and punching in the number to her quarter.

Meanwhile, Thane was deep in contemplation, asking himself whether or not it would be wise to start talking about his past. He had no doubt that Shepard would respect him and keep the story to herself, but he wasn’t certain if he was ready to render himself so vulnerable in her presence. Even remembering his childhood create an involuntary tremble all over his body, he wasn’t sure what voicing it would cause.

He wasn’t sure when his hands had balled and started quivering, but he knew when exactly Shepard’s warm fingers made their way to envelop his fist soothingly. “Thane, there’s nothing to be worried about.” She let out a sympathetic smile. “I know how daunting it is for you, and I won’t force you to talk about it.”

He could feel his posture relaxing and his previously tense shoulders sagged at her reassuring words. He let his fingers uncurl, palms turning around to catch hers. He surprised himself at the boldness he was showing, and the same seemed evident as Shepard’s breath hitched for a split second while she licked her lips unconsciously. Slipping his four fingers as comfortably as he could into hers, she refused to look into him, instead focusing on their intertwined digits.

Thane silently hoped she wouldn’t be able to hear the deafeningly loud thumping noise his heart was making at that moment.

“Thank you for your understanding, siha.” He whispered and quickly jolted at the mention of the word he didn’t realise he blurted out loud.

“Siha?” The human tilted her head sideways, giving him a questioning look.

“M-my apologies, I meant mistress.” He corrected himself as quickly as he had spouted such word. The last time he had called someone that was when he was with Irikah. Much like that moment, he had accidentally said it out loud. She was a drell, hence understood its significance, so he couldn’t rectify it even if he wanted to.

Thane abruptly forced his hands away from hers, almost yanking her in process, and he looked away in reflex. ‘ _Curiosity_.’ He whispered to himself countless times to deny what he just called her. She is his mistress, a friend at most, someone he respects—he doesn’t want to betray that engraved concept. Not even with the hurt look gleaming in her eyes as the elevator opened in front of her cabin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a sucker for slow burns... there's still a long way to go!
> 
> As always, I appreciate your kudos and comments! I'm open to any feedbacks or suggestions you might have <3!

**Jane Shepard**

Jane was pleasantly surprised when she saw Thane not long after docking—not only because of his swift appearance, but because of his choice of armour. Out of anything that he could’ve chosen, he purchased one that is a mixture of black and dark grey. The front of the leather showed enough of his ripped chest, adorned with a zipper that begged to be tugged down and the shoulder pads on his cloak accentuated that his broad shoulders. There was a strange half-ellipse pattern on his crotch area as if saying ‘look here’, which Shepard had no trouble complying. Her gaze darted idly to his muscular thighs and she had to stop herself from licking her lips by looking up a little where she could see a slight bulge on the side caused by the holstered submachine gun.

It was a miracle that she didn’t stutter at her greeting. If looks can make a girl turn into gooey mess, the drell in front of him is inarguably the epitome of it.

Their conversation in the Normandy about the assassin had somehow satisfied her, although it quickly turned into unsated curiosity when she noticed how Thane shook Nihlus’s hand using his right. The scene wasn’t surprising—Nihlus didn’t have any animosity towards drells nor the urge to have one. However, he was no activist either. He was merely sitting on the sideline, not wanting to join the mess. The rest of the crew however, gave her really strange looks, mostly directed to the uncollared drell. Wait, Thane had took of the collar!

However, it wasn’t a pressing issue, she was more interested in the handshake, so she asked him about it and drew a connection from there. It was a rather wild guess, but she trusted her instinct. From the first time she saw Feron, she knew something wasn’t right but she couldn’t put her finger on what was amiss.He knew exactly that she was looking for Kolyat despite her not talking about it, he also knew the fact that she was acquaintance with Thane. She hadn’t put much thought into those facts due to the situation but now she was able to mull over it, it was quite odd. He also refused to shake her hand with his right, presumably due to the injury inflicted on it. Perhaps he thought he was being careful by doing so.

What surprised her even more was the fact that Thane was familiar with her assassin and claimed him as an infiltrator. She could tell he was starting to become uncomfortable speaking in front of Nihlus despite him not being able to understand drell language. Her heart thumped loudly in anticipation. She desperately wanted to know more about him and to finally be granted the chance was unreal.

However she also didn’t want to be inconsiderate. She had her fair share of traumatising past memories from that slaughter in Akuze. It was definitely something she wouldn’t be willing to share on a whim. Recalling her powerlessness as those who she had called friends being inhumanely killed by thresher maw as they screamed at her to run. Finding her feet frozen solid when she saw the scattered body parts of her loved one on half-buried on the sand, her friends being reduced to nothing but blood and decayed flesh due to the toxin from the thresher maw.

She didn’t know what Thane’s past had been like, but she could understand his reluctance to talk to her. His hand balled into a fist, trembling, and she could feel her heart shrinking at the sight. She gently took his hand into hers and squeezed it reassuringly. Much to her surprise, Thane responded by intertwining their fingers together. She felt his scaled webbed digits making its way inbetween her middle and ring finger on an angle so they could feel flush against each other.

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as their warmth moulded into each other, hands tightening like never before. For the first time, she wished the elevator would go slower.

“Thank you for your understanding, siha.” Came his husky voice, embellished with softness and affection, making heat creeped up onto her cheeks.

“Siha?” She questioned, thinking that her translator had glitched. She thought it was just an attempt at saying her name, but his reaction said otherwise.

“M-my apologies, I meant mistress.” He stuttered uncharacteristically before forcibly removing his hand from hers. The grip they had before made her almost fall over in his direction but she regained her balance swiftly. She wasn’t sure what had triggered that reaction—she hadn’t said anything wrong has she? Was she not meant to question him for the odd word he said? Is it some sort of cultural taboo? What if ‘siha’ stands for something important and creating a question out of it was a rude gesture?

“Did I offend you?” She started, almost scared to hear his response. Gods, she couldn’t believe how much he was affecting her, and she wondered if he knows. “Thane?”

“I… I am sorry, mistress. I was deep in thought.” He dropped his head to the ground. “And no. It was nothing. Just a slip of my tongue. Please disregard it.”

Her eyes narrowed but she decided to not pry at the look he was, or more accurately not giving her. “Alright. Let’s go.” She said, patting him lightly on the shoulder before walking into her cabin.

They took a seat on the sofa and silence drew on. She decided to let him start whenever he wanted to as she poured a glass of water from the jug on the coffee table and setting it in front of him. He nodded at her as a gesture of gratitude and sat back straight.

“Mistress, I take it that you are aware of my occupation before I was taken into slavery.” He glanced at her, not wanting to be presumptuous.

“An assassin, based on what that drell said.” She brushed her fringe and tucking it nicely behind her ear.

He bobbed his head up and down slowly. “Feron was a… companion, or more accurately a rival.” Sensing his unwillingness to go deeper into his previous job, she sucked in a noise of disappointment. But at the mention of the drell she met earlier, her focus returned. “We were always on a good term as a recruit although we shared our competitive trait. However, we got promoted into different section—I as an assassin, and him as an infiltrator. He has good eyes, able to see better in dark than most although hands not steady enough to snipe accurately.

“He disappeared after the third year of his professional training, presumed dead. The investigation was discontinued and indecisive. Considering the state of the drell species, I did not have much hope. Of course it never crossed my mind that he might be working with the Shadow Broker.” He inhaled, clasping his hands thoughtfully on his lap. “But he was the best infiltrator that I have ever seen. Even the group that recruited us has said so.”

“He tried to kill me.” Shepard narrowed her eyes in confusion. “If he’s a good infiltrator, why would he change his mind and become an assassin now?”

“A guess, but the Shadow Broker might ordered him to. And I suppose that’s why he didn’t use a gun and went for knives instead.”

“Thane…” She looked at the drell, hands clutched tightly onto each other. “Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for your flattering concern, mistress.” He managed a small smile and Shepard found her heart stopping at the sight. How did he manage to be so formal yet so alluring? Actually, his politeness might be the aspect that made him so mysterious and seductive. “What is our next stop?” He asked, snapping her out of her brief fantasies.

“A star system in Argos Rho. The data that I gathered from their terminal showed that there’s a drell trafficking not long ago. And you might want to talk with the drells that I’ve rescued from those slavers. They need a friendly face.”

“I’d be more than willing to do so.” He cocked his head at an angle in acceptance. “I’m thoroughly grateful that you managed to rescue them from that wretched place.”

“I’ve got no doubt that you’d do a good job, Thane.” She grinned. “Though I have a feeling that they’re still scared of my crew, _especially_ me, despite the pep talk I gave. I mean, I talked Saren into shooting himself… you thought I’d have better persuasion skill than this.” She felt a little bad using him as a base of her joke, considering how sad his final moment had been. If it wasn’t for the reapers’ influence, they might’ve gotten along quite well.

“Did you reprimand them too hard, mistress?” Thane let out a small raspy laugh and Shepard restrained herself from whimpering. She had to cover her face to calm herself down, and Thane gave her a confused look.

“Mistress, is everything alright?” He stood up and rubbed her back gently.

“Fuck!” She screamed suddenly, making him jump back almost cutely, question mark floating around him. “Thane I have something to ask you.”

His face turned into a mixture of surprise and confusion as he retracted his hand and moved back. “Yes… mistress?”

“Are you doing this intentionally?” She stepped forward, tone almost desperate. “Stop being so damn sexy, that’s what I meant! What’s with your choice of tantalizing leather that moulds perfectly into your voluptuous body, that smile you do with the corner of your lips and oh gods, don’t _even_ get me started on your breathy chuckle!” She screamed out as quickly as she humanly can. “And do you have a map?!”

“A… map?” He fidgeted uncomfortably.

“Yes! A fucking map! Because I feel like I’m gonna get lost in those wide black eyes of yours!” Shepard could see him halfway between being utterly puzzled and amusement at the classic pick-up line that she never thought she would ever use.

“I’m… sorry.” He muttered in uncertainty. “It was never my intention to seduce you, mistress.” Thane hesitated before continuing, head bowing and avoiding her eyes. “However, know that my body is yours to use as you please.”

Had it been a roleplay, she would be massively turned on at the submissiveness, but not now. He was saying it as a gesture of resignation, a sign that he was ready to succumb to her orders as a mistress and she, in no way, takes pleasure on stepping over someone’s rights.

“Thane, I thought you know me better than that.” She crossed her arms. “I would _never_ force you, or anyone, into something unless it’s mutual.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you, mistress.” He straightened his back right away, making Shepard feeling a little better that he stopped acting submissive. “But if it pleases you, I wouldn’t mind you using me as a sexual relief. You are very kind, mistress. I’d like to give something back in any way possible.”

She shook her head slowly. “I’m not helping you only to blackmail you into having sex with me.”

“You are mistaking my intent, mistress.” He said with his usual formal posture, eyes unreadable. “I have nothing to else to offer you but myself. This… is my way of expressing gratitude. If you would like something from me, know that I will try my best to provide it.”

Hearing it first hand from him almost broke her heart into tiny shards, and for a moment she lost any ability to phrase coherent sentence. He hadn’t meant to insult her by being submissive, but it was merely the only way he could give something back to her, and it was sad. _Too_ sad. It was as if all the lust had been drained off her at the sentence—her conscience was screaming no at her. It wouldn’t feel right.

She shook her head, lips pursed together but decided to let it go. She’ll deal with it later. Right now, they have the two drells to deal with. “Let’s just go to the crew deck. We need to sort out where the drells will go from here.”

“Of course, mistress.”

“Thane, don’t call me that in front of them. They’re going to be even more shaken if they find out that I’m just a big hypocrite.” She said as they made their way back to the elevator.

“Affirmative, commander.”

**Thane Krios**

Thane really wasn’t aware of the effect he had on Shepard. Sure, he had seen some hints of her being a little bashful sometimes, along with her eyes scanning him constantly but this was simply on another level. He wasn’t sure what to say to her, since this took him completely by surprise.

Thane had to contemplate his options for a moment. For the first time, he didn’t mind the idea of his owner using his body, in fact he would prefer that Shepard do so since he had nothing else to offer as a gesture of gratitude. He would hold no animosity or think less of her even if she requested it off him right that instant.

He felt that it would be very easy to develop feelings for Shepard, considering that she was the first owner that saw him as an equal. It could get a little difficult trying to distinguish between romantic interest and platonic affection as there is a blurred line between the two.

“Y-you…” One of the two drells lifted his finger up, pointing at him. “You’re Thane Krios. The assassin.” The addressed alien felt Shepard’s eyes on him in an attempt to silently question why exactly they knew him.

“Don’t be delusional. Krios is rumoured dead years ago.” The amber one denied.

“What are your names?” He asked gently, trying to ease them up. He could see that they were still a little wary despite the fact that it was a drell that was attempting conversation with them.

“W-we have no names.”

Thane closed his eyes. Of course they wouldn’t have one. They were considerably young, possibly had only the ones that their owners gave them, and Thane didn’t want to call them by those names. “I hope you won’t mind if I give you one.” He whispered, a soothing trill rumbled from his throat and the two drells found themselves relaxing at the sound. At the eager nods, Thane smiled. “Egil and Allon.” He told the amber and jade drells.

“Yes, sere.” They immediately said, shoulders slumping in reassurance. They let out a small quaver from their throats as a gesture of gratitude.

Still noticing the tension, he moved back and whispered to Shepard, hands together on his back. “They are at ease, but still a little scared.”

The human nodded. “Do what you can. And tell me if there’s anything I can do.”

He glanced at the two of them and they immediately shifted their eyes away. Definitely, there was something that would easily make them relax. He leaned into her ear and said softly “May I ask your permission for a kiss on the cheek, commander?”

“W-why?” She stammered, cheeks turning pink.

“It will help them to loosen up if they see an intimate contact between a drell and another species. Not just to me, but to you. They have been through a lot, commander, thinking that we are nothing but inferior. I would like to give them a morale boost, if you’d allow it.”

Shepard nodded after a moment of silence and a smile blossomed on his full lips as he leaned forward to press against the commander, brushing slightly against the extended scar from her left eye down to her cheek. Terrified gasps from Egil and Allon were audible at the sudden contact.

“S-sere, you can’t—“ The jade scaled drell panicked.

“Thank you for rescuing them, commander.”

“Anytime, Thane.” She smiled and left the room before Thane heard another set of gasp from the two.

“T-Thane! You really are Thane Krios!” Allon stuttered in shock. “And… with the commander…”

“The commander is not like the others—she saved me. You should not be afraid of her.” When both of them nodded heavily, Thane smiled. “We will be taking you back to Kahje. It might not be safe there considering the constant raids by turians that wish to capture us. But safer than this ship and anywhere else. You will be under the protection of the hanar, and they will do their best to defend you.”

“Yes… sere Krios.” They croaked, voice nearing tears.

“Good. I will check on you soon.” He nodded and left the room.

Shepard was outside leaning against the wall with her arms crossed across her chest. “How did it go?”

“Very well.” He smiled, standing opposite her. “I would like to thank you for your assistance, mistress. They have calmed down significantly.” Thane continued.

“Where’s the safest place for us to drop them?”

“Kahje.” He said, rewarding him with a strange look from the human. He had to explain the reason why he thought it would be the best option out of anywhere else before she agreed and told Joker to postpone their flight to Argos Rho and instead head for Kahje.

“Mistress, I… Thank you.” He said simply, not knowing what else he could do to show his utmost gratitude. “You have done so much for me, for the drell. I’m at loss for words.” Placing his hands neatly on his back, he continued tentatively.

“You are an extremely intelligent species and you don’t deserve to be treated this way.” She smiled, patting him gently on the back. “Now let’s sort out your quarter while you’re here.”

Thane blinked. “Won’t I sleep in your cabin, mistress?”

“Uh… uhm… what?” The commander stammered, face turning red in an instant and he could hear her cursing and saying gibberish. “You? My cabin?” Before he could say anything to apologise, she cut him. “Sure! Yes… uh… yeah.”

“Are you not comfortable with the idea, mistress?” He cocked his head to the side, remembering her implying that she wanted to sleep with him. “I thought you’d be… happy. Am I being presumptuous?” Then it clicked in him. “I see. Mistress and sir Kryik—“

“Fuck no!” She screamed before he could finish his sentence. “Like hell I’m gonna share my comfortable bed with that violent turian. He snores and he kicks me around!”

“Who snores and kicks you around?” Nihlus crossed his arms, suddenly appearing behind Shepard. “We’ve established that I’m sleeping in your cabin.”

“That’s non-consensual.” She stuck her tongue out and pulled her bottom eyelids with her index finger.

The thought of Shepard sharing her bed with someone else left a strange, uncomfortable feeling inside his stomach and he had to choke back a warning rumble. If there was anything he learned from his turian owners, it was that they share similar subharmonics to express their emotions, hence they could understand each other through that noise alone.

He wasn’t sure what came onto him as he snaked his arm around to reach Shepard’s waist and pulled her closer until her shoulder made contact with his. “I’m afraid that position is already taken, sir.” He said full of mirth as he let out a suppressed warning trill involuntarily which he quickly swallowed when the spectre’s eyes widened.

“Hm.” Nihlus simply said, although he replied to Thane’s reaction with another warning rumble that was inaudible to human ears despite not understanding his language. The growl didn’t express jealousy, however. It was more of a ‘hurt her and I’ll kill you’ type of noise, something that family or close friends often use.

Thane could feel Shepard staring at them in utter confusion, possibly wondering why exactly they were saying nothing but look at each other unrelentingly.

“Are you guys doing that weird subharmonic thing?” She scowled. “Talking about how flawless I am?”

“Sure, sure.” Nihlus tapped her on the head playfully before walking away, ignoring the protests.

“You know, I’m not short for a human, actually I’m pretty tall for a female but I hate how turians seem to loom over us easily like the big bad bullies they are.” She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t like looking up at people, mistress?” He chuckled low next to Shepard’s ear idly.

The human suddenly tensed in surprise at the proximity. “Uh… Thane, y-you can let go now. Not that I mind walking back to my cabin with a drop-down gorgeous drell embracing me but y’know. People’ll talk.”

“Ah, of course.” He quickly retracted his arm, unsure of why he allowed it to linger. Thane noticed a presence behind them and turned his head, spotting the two drells that were previously in the crew quarter and they jolted in surprise. “Do you require anything?”

“I… uh…” Allon nudged Egil with his elbow, silently telling him to talk but he merely shook his head. “Sere Krios and the Commander, are you two… uhm…?”

Thane’s eyes widened in surprise, unsure of how to respond of such protruding question without being disrespectful. So he eyed the human who seemed thoughtful for a moment before she inhaled and crossed her arms.

“Are we together? Yes.” She said confidently without any trace of stuttering and turned to face Thane, cocking one of her eyebrows for confirmation if it was alright. He simply nodded.

Frankly he had not expected such blatant lie to come out of her lips. But she is Commander Shepard, she had to have an exceptional skill at seeming natural when not telling the truth to convince people to do something for her. The drell cleared his throat into his balled fist.

The thought of being in a relationship with her was not… unpleasant, much to his surprise. He let out a trill of embarrassment that he was sure the other two drells caught as their eyes went wide with excitement. But he regained his composure soon enough to see the commander smiling at him gently.

“Come on, bad boy. Up for some drinks?” She grinned and they walked away, towards the elevator.

“Thank you, mistress.” He said silently.

“That’s alright. Did I went too far by saying yes?”

“Unexpected but necessary.” Thane answered her hesitation, following her towards the cabin once the elevator came to a stop.

Her private terminal beeped once they entered and Shepard cursed. “The drinks gotta wait, I guess. Thane, feel free to use the shower. How long has it been since you last had one?” She chuckled in amusement.

“We drells do not indulge in water shower.”

“Oh.” She looked at him in surprise. “Why’s that?”

“We live in an arid environment, prolonged contact with moisture can allow the developing or worsening of Kepral’s Syndrome. The effect on the sufferers is particularly devastating with hot water, since the steam clogs our lungs when inhaled, resulting in decreased breathing ability.” He explained, remembering all those times he had been exposed to this and had fought back cough after cough in order to not discomfort his owners.

“Then what do you use?”

“Sand bath. Although it’s only an unattainable luxury these days for us. I’ve only experienced it once and it’s the one memory I will never forget.” He smiled reminiscently, in turn making the commander return the same sweet gesture. “When you have been oppressed, you learn to take pleasure in simple things.”

“I know the feeling.” She grinned. “But good for you, the bathroom is packed with sonic shower that you can abuse. What do you use to cleanse yourself? I mean we humans use soap, but I’m not sure if it’s okay for you.”

“Our skin doesn’t produce oil, so common dust does not stick to us. We also go into molting season every year, and that’s when the residue on our skin is removed.” Thane continued. “Although I would appreciate it if I can use your shower, mistress. Thank you.”

“Damn!” She said. “Drells are _so_ fascinating. You’d better keep your shower door open so you can tell me more about your culture.” Shepard continued while moving her seat forward so her legs tucked nicely under the desk and she was on a comfortable distance away. Moments later, she turned her head to him. “Don’t worry. I won’t peek or anything, although it’d be tempting to.”

Thane chuckled raspily before moving to the bathroom and stripped himself off his leather, setting them nicely in front of the area and leaving a small partition so he would be able to talk to Shepard. Activating the sonic shower proved to be easy enough, as the next second he could feel refreshing breeze running all over his body and he sighed in contentment at the sensation. His head slowly tilted upwards, eyes closed as he tried to enjoy the accommodation as much as he could.

“Thane, why are you moaning in there? You’re not doing anything naughty without me, are you?” Came the voice full of mirth signature of Jane Shepard.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, mistress.” He smiled, running his hand along his arm, trying to get rid of dirt. “Would you like to join me?” It was quite pleasant that he started to ease up to her even more than before, enough for him to start to talk to her about his own feelings without worrying—this also includes being able to retaliate her idle flirting with another.

“Yeah, thanks for the image. I really need that. I might just send the council a report on drell anatomy now.” He could hear her groaning, and he imagined her red face without having to looking at it.

Thane started laughing at her comeback and could feel his chest tightening. In an instant, he went from indulging the sonic shower into a coughing mess on the wall, one arm propping himself from falling. He desperately tried to inhale oxygen to no avail. His body was burning more air than he could ever take in, and he felt his vision blurring, head throbbing with pain. He wheezed in agony as he felt a warm hand over his naked shoulder.

“Thane! Thane!” Shepard screamed out, hand moving from his shoulder to his back, patting it rather aggressively.

“I’m…” He inhaled deeply when his lungs cleared all of sudden. His sight returning in an instant. “I’m alright.”

“Like hell you are!” She cried out, eyes darkened in concern, one hand turning off the shower and propped him up. She helped him sit on the bed.

“Thank you, mistress.” He said. “Your concern is the most flatte—“

“Thane, stop thanking me!” The redhead groaned in frustration. “Of course I’d worry. If this happens to anyone in the ship, I’d be doing the exact same thing. I _care_ about you.”

She said the sentence with such passion and sincerity he could feel his defences crumbling. She _cares_. Someone cares. After long decades he spent alone dwelling in memories of Irikah, thinking that he would find none who bother to look at him twice, the confession hit him like a hammer.

His heart pounded unnaturally loudly in the otherwise silent room as he looked up to meet Shepard’s eyes who was still standing in front of him. He was a mere drell, a race that was considered unworthy by the rest of the galaxy, the species who had resigned themselves to impending extinction, the ones that had been treated like they were nothing but garbage. And there was Commander Jane Shepard, the hero of Citadel, saviour of the Council, first human spectre, looking at him with eyes that were not short of sympathy.

A true siha.

Thane’s hand moved forward to tug her on the shirt gently. Feeling no resistance from her, he continued to pull her closer until their lips meet.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit 50k words! Rejoice~! I'm sorry for the impatient readers out there but I really like drawing out stories ;u;  
> I have no beta so I'm sorry for any errors and strange sentence structure. Or even strange words that aren't supposed to be there. Bear with me, please!
> 
> Thank you for your kudos and comments! You guys are awesome and deserves oreo flavoured oreo <3

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard thought that she was already immune to heart attack since she lost count on how many krogans had suddenly charged her from the flank. Though she was pretty sure that Garrus had it worse. Thane’s boldness by blatantly claiming her as his in front of Nihlus was considered as one of the biggest shocks she had ever experienced, well she could still recover from that. Somehow. Her face heat up like never before at the intimate contact and if she was turian, she could only imagine what kind of subharmonic she would produce—a dying whale noise, literally. Nihlus would definitely be terrorised for life. Garrus? Probably would already be in the bathroom throwing up his lunch.

Yeah, sure she retaliated by claiming that Thane and her were together—wishful thinking, Jane. Good going. She quickly kicked herself at the thought. No, she totally wasn’t into Thane, she totally wasn’t. Just curiosity. It was a miracle that she was able to keep her face calm and blood flow in check. She was glad he decided not to bring the matter up as they arrived in the cabin.

However, nothing that she had seen or experienced prepared her for the sudden coughing in the bathroom. She could feel her heart sinking down to her feet before she rushed to find Thane whose feet barely supporting his weight hunching on the wall. The terrible wheezing made her remember the event where he had fallen in her arms after being harmed by the assassin—Feron, she gritted her teeth in anger.

She rubbed her palm in circle on his back, trying to calm him down. She was relieved when it worked and Thane regained his breathing. They made their way to the bed and Shepard placed him softly on the bed, still concerned.

Thane seemed deep in thought after she told him to stop thanking her and she briefly wondered if she said something wrong. There was no trace of pain in his eyes but Shepard could never be sure when it came to him. He had always played his cards close to his chest.

The next thing she noticed was his hand curling gently on her shirt. She was too confused as to why it was there and why he was pulling her closer. Did she has something on her face? He wasn’t about to kiss her ri—

Oh yes, he was.

She wasn’t sure what was on his mind but she couldn’t care less, not with the softness on her lips. The contact wasn’t fuelled with fire or rough, definitely nothing like her first kiss which had been sloppy. It almost as if he was treating her as something fragile that would break at the simplest touch, or perhaps as the richest wine that he had to savour and enjoy slowly.

He pressed against her softly as if expecting resistance and she didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt as she leaned forward, hands placed on the bed on his sides. Her heart hammered in her chest as she felt a nip on her lower lip, a request for entrance. Once parted, Thane’s tongue slid inside her mouth, caressing hers. His breath was hot on her face and she could taste the somewhat bittersweet saliva as they danced in together, twisting and holding each other in a ballad. They relished in each other as if it was something sinfully delicious, like taking a bite from the forbidden fruit.

She could feel heat pooling in her lower region instantly and she rubbed her thighs together while moaning into his mouth. Thane then pulled away but not before sucking her lips in his full, plump ones.

“Mistress…” He sighed wistfully, regretfully. Then he turned away. “I apologise. We shouldn’t.”

“Why?” She did nothing to move herself, eyes boring onto his averted ones. “Why shouldn’t we?” Whispering, she tried her best to ignore the sudden spike in arousal that never happened before. Was it the anticipation, the pace he was going at?

“You are asking more than I can provide.”

Shepard croaked, heart clenching in an unknown feeling. Had he taste her desperation, her yearning for him? She tried to convince herself that what she had was nothing but a thirst that needs to be sated, but she knew that deep down she wanted more than that.

It terrified her, of course. She was more familiar with a friendly tumble where both parties knew that it was nothing but casual, but Thane drove her crazy with desire and that was the least of her concern. There was something about him that pulled her closer. He was different—he had been through some of the most traumatising things this world could offer and had emerged victorious. Scarred but victorious. She could see part of herself reflected in those dark, emotionless void of his eyes. Put others in his position and she was sure that they would be no more than a deranged, broken vessel. Like her, he shouldn’t be standing here, he should’ve been broken long ago. She wanted to be more than a friend to him, she wanted him to know that someone understood.

At the prolonged silence, Thane dropped his sight to the bed, hands curling on the bedsheet. “I will not accept your heart, mistress.”

Shepard felt herself crumbling at the soft voice of his. Distant yet full of emotion. “Why not?” Her voice was coarse.

“I’m a drell. The lowest of the species.” He whispered while still refusing to look at her. “And you’re Commander Shepard, a hero to the galaxy. We cannot be together.”

“Then take me. Take me until you forget what we are.” She replied.

“I can offer you pleasure, but I will not take any more than that.” His voice was drained off any emotion, but she could feel the sincerity, the invitation.

“So be it.” Shepard whispered, pushing him down until his back was flat on the mattress. “My body is burning for you, Thane.” She sighed in desire as she loomed over him before sitting on his nudity. There was a slight shudder visible all over his body when she grinded against him, feeling his erection slowly coming to life. Shepard leaned in and traced her fingernail on Thane’s redness on the cheek, drawing out small moans from his tantalising lips. Louder rumbles were produced from his throat when her tongue ran over his neck, feeling the bumps and sampling the sharp taste on it, just like a whiskey that smelled like cinnamon.

It was almost laughable how stimulated she became from pleasing him, something that doesn’t normally happen with her previous encounters. As if reading her thoughts, Thane whispered, hands clutching desperately on the bedsheet.

“My saliva acts as low-dose aphrodisiac.” Inbetween moans, he managed to phrase another sentence. “Drell skins produce venom to disarray vision and,” a gasp as Shepard nipped his throat. “enhance pleasure.”

Shepard said nothing but grumbled in understanding, it was no wonder she felt herself burning in desire at every contact she made. The commander moved down to peck the pectoral that she loved and the abs that she longed for before she withdrew to admire his well-toned body.

His frills expanded and maroon muscles became more saturated, almost glowing in pleasure. Shepard’s fingertip traced the army green marking that emerged from the lower side of his chest, merging on his stomach and down to his navel. There were stripes symmetrically arranged on both sides of his hips that she trailed using her free hand.

Thane shuddered at the contact as Shepard placed her feet on the floor and kneeled to nibble on the thighs that begged to be worshipped. She peppered chaste kisses all over him, letting him bask in the affection in turn making him let out a noise that was half purr and half moan.

“M…Mistress…” He cried out softly, trying to sit up but quickly rendered motionless as Shepard took his erect member on her calloused hands. His voice was becoming more ragged, breath coming in short pants especially when she landed a kiss on the bulbous tip. “No…” He said while arching his back due to the sensation. “I should be the one,” He panted. “pleasuring you…”

“Ssh,” Shepard shushed as she ran her tongue along the curved marking that spanned from the base to the shaft. His manhood was quaking in desire when she started sucking on the tip, swiping her tongue over it to taste the droplet of pre-cum.

“Mistress…” He sighed in want, such music to Shepard’s ears. The cries became louder when she delved further down, being mindful of her teeth and using her tongue to fondle and caress him inside her mouth. The reaction was overwhelming—she could feel him throbbing and pulsing in a few thrusts, his hips tentatively moving in tandem with her head. She could tell that he wasn’t used to being pleasured this way as his head thrashed left and right, hands gripping tightly on the bedsheet.

His body was trembling, erect member expanding her mouth even more as it quivered and she prepared herself for his release. However, he quickly sat forward and gripped her shoulder to push her away, free hand clutching his erection to ejaculate on it.

She looked at him as he panted exhaustedly, frills shivering at the aftershock. Before she could ask anything, he inhaled deeply. “Drell semen can cause intoxication when swallowed by humans.”

The human blinked at the sudden enlightenment before grinning. “So… I can substitute booze for your sperm? Nice.”

Thane chuckled although it was disrupted by brief coughing that melted the humour in Shepard’s eyes. “I apologise, I am not used to… well, this.” Shepard offered him a tissue from her pocket that he could use to wipe away the seed. “Mistress, I believe it’s your turn.”

“I’ll handle it myself, Thane.” She smiled softly although core pulsing with need. She could feel her panties becoming moist at the begging noises that he made. “Why don’t you get dressed while I take a shower? We’ll go down to medbay in a moment.”

**Thane Krios**

He had to admit that he gave in to his bodily needs when he leaned in to capture Shepard's lips. She was rough in comparison to him but it did nothing to soothe his elevating desire. She savoured him in desperation despite the pace he was deliberately going at. He didn't wish to succumb to lust, especially not when it was Commander Shepard he was kissing.

It wasn't that he didn't find her attractive. Sure, the thought of being involved with another species had never crossed his mind considering the treatment they gave drells. But he shuddered at the image of the galaxy finding out that their hero is in a romantic relationship with a drell. It definitely wouldn't do much good for her reputation.

Her frustration at his speed blatantly showed although she did well to suppress it. He noticed it when she started rubbing her legs together and immediately pulled away to see her eyes darkened with libido. Not just desire, he could also see a tinge of anticipation and some part affection. It was concerning. He knew clearly when someone wanted a quick, meaningless sex and she didn't seem to give that vibe. He had thought that since Shepard had frequent casual sex that she would treat this as another one of those, but he was wrong.

Not to mention that he was ill with perhaps two years life expectancy. Even then, he wished to return to the shore once he avenged Irikah's killer. _Irikah._ It had been a good decade after her death yet he still felt as if he would disrespect her memory by kindling a relationship with another. There was too much stopping him from reciprocating Shepard's affection.

He had to look away from her as he turned her down, not wanting to change his mind. He wasn't sure what she saw in him that sparked her interest and nor did he. There was too much uncertainty clogging his heart when it comes to his feelings for Shepard. He was drawn to her like the opposing ends of a magnet and it unnerved him.

She looked at his naked body with nothing but fascination as if he was a sculptor’s masterpiece that had the right amount of nook and cranny placed on all the precise places. Her lips warm and arousing as she kissed his chest and stomach, down to his thighs.

Of course he had expected to please her and not the other way around. So when she wrapped her hot lips around his throbbing member, he threw his head back—he never had anyone who would do such thing for him. It felt surreal, almost as if his whole body was covered in warm ember envelope that didn’t burn but embrace. His breathing turned ragged and forced as she sped up and he felt himself closing in on the edge, barely holding on. The tongue that massaged him was malleable like jelly adorned with little bumps of papilla that enhanced pleasure.

Her moan rang loudly in the room, accompanied with squelching noise of her saliva dripping down his erection. She was sucking him like her life depended on it, like she was the one being gratified and he found it impossible to stay still. He thrashed his head uncharacteristically as he felt himself nearing his limit. It was a miracle that he found the strength to push her back, not wanting to risk any allergic reaction drell semen could cause.

And now he was cleaning himself with tissues on her nightstand while she took a cold shower. Being unable to grant Shepard with the completion she deserved, guilty conscience filled him to the brim. He desperately tried to find a way to thank her somehow, and he remembered that she must’ve been hungry. So Thane grabbed his leather and put them back on before stepping outside her cabin.

Silently hoping that the turian spectre wouldn’t be there (he would be able to smell his arousal), he silently made his way into the mess hall using the air vent, completely fading away from everyone’s views. He didn’t wish to disturb anyone or be stopped midway. The drell then dropped down to the floor, opening the fridge.

Tali yelped in shock when she heard the motion and frantically reached for a gun but stopped on her track.

“Keelah!” She cursed after sighing in relief. “Don’t do that!”

“My apologies, Miss Zorah.” He whispered, grabbing necessary ingredient to start cooking. There were vegetables and some frozen levo meat that was clearly labelled ‘Shepard’s! Take it and I’ll blow you up!’ along with an angry emoticon on the wrap.

“What are you doing?” She asked curiously at the sight.

“Cooking for mistress.” He answered simply, taking a deep breath when he opened the drawer underneath to find a knife. Not wanting to go berserk, he closed his eyes in a short prayer then placed his hand on the handle, still holding on to the chain of words.

_Cold wind on my face, smell of rotten meat overflowing my nose. The cold steel of dagger glints viciously on my hand as I silently pursues my target. Target. No name. No family. No memories. No one to come home to. I chant the lies in my head in order to focus. The target looks back, mandibles fluttering in concern and he starts to pick up his pace. My eyes observe and mind anticipates as he turns to a secluded street._

_My chance. I mould into the shadow before dropping down behind him. I was sloppy; he notices me. His head turns, eyes reflecting fear at the knife in my hand. I momentarily lose my focus and drive it right on his shoulder where he cries out in pain. I have to act quickly. He is going to draw attention to the site. I curl my fingers and land a blow on his cheek. Panic settles in my stomach as he screams louder. I sink my blade on his throat messily. He gurgles, navy blue bubbles from his mouth and drips down to the floor._

_I flinch at the sight. I want to end it. My hands quiver, tremble, grip on my knife loosening. He is getting away. I leap forward to drive the tip into the back of his plated head. It pierces him but not enough to kill. I repeat the process over and over. I am meant to take his life silently and efficiently, but it is messy. Far too messy._

_He finally falls to the ground. Blood pooling on my feet and my teeth grind against each other in fear. I look at the weapon in my hand, blotched with glittering blue blood and uncovered hand in darkened shade._

Thane snapped out of his memory and trembled then dropped the knife to the ground with a loud clank. He dropped to his knees, hand clutching his head.

“A-are you okay?” Tali questioned, didn’t know what to do. She activated her omnitool to ring Shepard but the drell stopped her.

“I’m okay.” He gave her a smile, picking the knife from the ground and stood up, hands still shivering.

“What’s a drell doing here?” Came a surprised gasp from a female crew. “Unleashed?”

Thane froze in the middle of his activity, having not expected any animosity. Being with the commander and her companions made him forget that he was just a drell.

“Who gave you permission to be here?” A male voice rang in disgust. He grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around only to be stopped by Tali.

“Enough.” She said. “The commander won’t be pleased if you hurt him.”

“I never pegged the commander to be a slaver. Got a new toy to play with, huh?”

Thane’s eyes widened at the statement and he had to resist himself from grabbing the man’s neck and snapping it single-handedly. He didn’t care about what he said about him but he was insulting Shepard. His own _commander_.

“Bet she’s spoiling you, huh scum? Your lowly species don’t deserve any of her attention.”

“Stop it!” Tali raised her dual voice, shoving the ship crew away from him.

“Watch it, quarian!” He matched her volume and swung his fist to her cheek but Thane quickly moved in front of her. He could feel a sharp blow on his cheek but he managed to keep his ground.

“Krios!” The female exclaimed in surprise having not anticipated his action.

It was near impossible for him to stop himself from murdering the man in cold blood, but it was Shepard’s ship, Shepard’s rules. He wouldn’t want to harm anyone without her permission. The crew clicked his tongue in distaste as he screamed out names and pulled his hand back. This time Thane didn’t hesitate to catch his fist with his palm, stopping it easily.

He drained all emotions from his eyes and focused his brain to do one thing: eliminate.

“No one will insult my mistress, and no one will harm her companions.” He whispered, pressing down on the man’s balled fingers with such force Thane could see fear instilling in him. Free hand on his back, Thane brought his knee up to land a blow on his stomach, sending him on the floor gagging.

The female crew was shaking in fear as she leaned on the wall just near the empty medbay. It was when Shepard showed up, eyes widening in surprise.

“Thane! What do you think you’re doing?!” She raised her voice in a commanding tone and the addressed male immediately straightened up. Her eyes glowed red at the sight of her crew member hunching on the floor and she glared at the man in front of her. As fast as he could, he dropped to his knees in front of her, ready for anything that she was about to dish him. He crossed the line. She was upset and it was his entirely his fault for succumbing into violence.

“Shepard. Thane was protecting me.” Tali chimed in. “This man insulted him, insulted you and tried to punch me. Thane was merely defending me. Thank you, Thane.” She said softly to the drell.

The redness in her pupil faded gradually as she frowned at the crew member and at the female on the far side of the area. “She said the truth, commander. And I… I was partly at fault too.”

“I apologise, mistress.” Thane’s raspy voice became audible. “I am ready for my punishment.” He was terrified of what consequence his impulsive action would bring him. Although the anger had subsided in her eyes, he could vividly remember it directed specifically at him. But for some reason he failed to be as horrified as he usually would be. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that Shepard wouldn’t harm him, not for trying to defend her and her allies.

Shepard quickly bent her knees and placed her hand softly on his shoulder. “No, I’m sorry Thane. I shouldn’t have doubted you.” She landed a small apologetic kiss on his forehead that made his stomach aflutter. “And you.” Her attention switched to the other male in the area. “You’d better get the fuck off my sight or I swear I’ll airlock you right now.” The crew staggered and fled the scene along with the other female with a small bow.

“What happened?” She asked Tali while one hand guiding Thane back up to his feet.

“It wasn’t pretty.” The quarian answered simply. “They called you a slaver and well, colourful insults directed at Thane. I couldn’t help but interfere. That man was about to hit me when Thane jumped in front of me and took the blow.”

Shepard switched her attention back at the drell and let out a small smile of gratitude which he returned. “Thank you, Thane. And Tali, thanks for standing up for him.”

“You’re welcome, Shepard. I know that Thane is no normal drell.” Said the quarian calmly. “I think he got more insulted when that bastard badmouthed you.” She let out a small chuckle.

“Only because I know that it is untrue.” Thane’s head bobbed slightly while keeping a small smile. “And besides, I am already immune to any names they might thro—mmh.” He stopped trying to talk when Shepard’s lips made their way to his in a chaste kiss that let a loud gasp escape from Tali.

“The only name they should be calling you is sexy beast.” She smirked and he found his stomach lurching at the display of affection.

“Shepard, that’s cute but can you do it somewhere else… maybe not in the middle of a public space?”

“My ship, my rule. I can grind against Nihlus in the cockpit and if I say it’s okay then it’s okay.” She grinned though looked pensive for a moment. “Though that’d make it in Joker’s vid collection titled ‘Spectres Hard at Work: Cock in the Cockpit’. I’d imagine Al-Jilani would jump at it and make it a headline.”

Thane let out a deep rumble at the mention of Nihlus but managed to swallow it back somehow. Somewhere along the line, Tali had left and Shepard was next to him trying to make dinner together.

“You know, you’ve got guts to touch my food supply. Last time someone does that they end up unconscious in the medbay.”

“Well, am I not glad that you didn’t tell me that prior to my decision.” He let out a small chuckle as he started to put the chopped vegetables into the pan.

“But you’re making it for me so I’ve got no complaints. And you look like you know what you’re doing and doesn’t mistake sugar for salt so that’s a start...”

“You’d be pleasantly surprised by how far eidetic memory can take you.”

“Right.”

There was silence as the pot sizzled away and Thane stirred the spatula around. The commander was fidgeting next to him as if trying to say something but fighting herself to keep it inside. He silently tried to figure out what she was up to but finally came to an assumption.

“I suppose I owe you an explanation, commander.” He said and had surprised himself when he slipped, not using ‘mistress’ to address her. She looked equally shocked but only smiled in response. “I do not find you unattractive. Yes, I am bothered by the difference in our rank in the social hierarchy. But such liaison is able to be kept hidden with enough discretion from both parties.

We have only met briefly, commander. There is no plausible reason as to why you would be enticed in someone with so little-known history like mine. I haven’t been exactly poignant about my past, and nor do I know much about yours. I have to ask you, commander.” He took a pause by tasting a little bit of the soup and added more salt. “What draws you to me? Is it strength? Physical appearance?”

Shepard pursed her lips together and didn’t mutter a single word for a moment. “We have more in common than you realise.” A sigh. “We’re forged through cruelty. What we went through, put anyone else in our shoes and they will not survive. We’re scarred. But we know that we are who we are because of what happened.” She leaned back on the kitchen bench behind him. “Don’t you get it, Thane? I see a part of the old me in you. A damaged vessel that can barely contain the soul. I understand your suffering to some extent. I find myself wanting to… take it away.”

The drell listened intently to what she had to say and pondered on it as he added more pepper and garnish to the soup. He wondered what kind of event she had seen—no doubt that it would be just as harsh in a different way to his. He nodded briefly before continuing. “I suppose I need to tell you about Irikah.”

The commander walked behind him when he offered a spoonful of the soup, nodding in approval. “Your wife?”

“Yes.” He set the spoon on the table and turned off the stove. “She was a very strong woman. Of course it was different to the physical strength you possess, but it was more than enough to make me fall for her.” Thane took a deep breath. “ _Laser dot trembles on his skull. One finger twitch, he dies. The smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset coloured eyes defiant in the scope. The laser dances away_.”

Thane moved back, hands clasped around his back. “She stopped me from eliminating my target—she returned what little conscience I had left.” Shepard was still, looking at him with unwavering eyes that encouraged him to disclose more. “When the slavers came for her and ripped us apart, Kolyat was barely one year old. I was held captive, but I didn’t stop holding out hope that she was out there alive, waiting for me.

Of course, fate is an unforgiving thing. The news that she had been killed struck me on the second year. That was when I slaughtered my first master in cold blood.” He placed the pot on the table, aroma so strong it pulled other crew members in the mess hall. “I am in a state of tu fira.” He said. “Lost in another. I cannot possibly accept your heart without feeling that I would dishonour her memory.”

Shepard nodded in understanding but eyes cast down to the ground. “I’m sorry, Thane. I’ll do my best to track down her murderers.” She stepped forward to squeeze him on the shoulder. “But you have to promise me something.”

“Yes?”

“I know it’s a demanding request but you have to let go of her. Not for me, Thane. But for yourself. I may not know her but if she caught your attention then she must be a hell of a lady. She wouldn’t want you to mourn for her for too long.”

The drell nodded. Frankly, he had tried his hardest to free himself off the past, but it was no simple task. He hadn’t thought of her as much as he used to, but whenever he did it never stopped hurting. He was supposed to protect her, protect their son but he failed.

“Of course, commander.”

They then dined together in the mess hall, welcoming the two drells to join them which they eagerly accepted. Kaidan had dropped by, wanting to have a taste of the food Thane cooked and was impressed at how edible it was. Of course there were still stares from their backs, but all of them were too scared to voice anything with Shepard present.

“Joker, what’s our ETA to Kahje?” Shepard asked once she finished filing her reports and turned off her terminal for the night. Thane was sitting on the sofa, flicking through one of her novels stashed underneath.

“1230 hours, commander.” Came the familiar voice.

“Thanks.” She groaned, stretching her stiff body and moaning in process. “Thane, turn on the sidelight if you wanna keep reading. When do you sleep anyway?”

“I can sleep anytime, commander.” He said, breaking his concentration from the book. “I can also go a week without any rest.”

He was answered with a loud thud noise of her throwing herself on the bed and quietly unzipped her N7 hoodie, throwing it to the side. “Suit yourself.” She said, crawling up to the pillow before covering her head with the blanket.

“I have a question.” He said, closing the book. “Sometimes you talk in your sleep. Is that normal?”

“Nope.” She answered concisely. “Just an undying habit of mine.”

“It’s rather amusing to watch.” Thane replied while turning off the main light, still crying the reading material with him. “A good survival skill too. Most will think that you are wide awake when in reality you are deep in your slumber.”

“Well ain’t I blessed.” She spat sarcastically, tint of humour clear in her voice.

“May I read next to you, commander?” He knew that she would most likely say yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask permission first.

“Only if you call me Shepard.” She chuckled.

“Of course.” Thane walked next to the free side of her bed and she turned around to face him. Hair falling messily on her forehead, she blew air to rid of them from her mouth.

“Try again, Thane.” Her smirk grew despite the half-lidded look.

“May I read next to you,” He returned the gesture, lips quirking up slightly. “Shepard?”

Her cheeks turned pink as she pursed her lips tightly. It never ceased to intrigue him how easily he could make her blush and well, what could he say, he really enjoyed it. “Goddamit.” She muttered, looking away from him.

The human took out her intercom and in turn her translator, putting it on the nightstand next to her. The bed moved when Thane sat on the soft mattress, flicking the bed light on to resume his reading. It didn’t take long at all for Shepard to start snoring lightly. The drell brushed the tips of his fingers through her tangled hair, enjoying the softness of it on his hand.

A smile blossomed on his full lips as he listened to her breathing and occasional cursing. Never would he dare imagine regaining his long lost freedom, a notion that still seemed very unreal for him, but at the same time so very palpable when she was there with him. He could feel a small stir in his stomach as he replayed the memory of their first encounter. What seemed to be short turned out to be a good few hours.

Finally feeling the weariness settling in, Thane slid down and let the blanket cover his body. He turned to nuzzle the commander back and whispered a very fond three words before turning back around to put some distant between them.

“Good night, Shepard.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An advance........... apology for the chapter ending //kicked  
> Not as long as I'd like it to be but I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless :)
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments! They really encourage me to do more~ ;D

**Jane Shepard**

As Shepard prepared her armours and weapons for a Kahje landing, she found herself unable to take her mind off Thane. She had gotten him checked up in the medbay but Dr Chakwas didn’t have appropriate treatment for Kepral’s though she was able to relate the said disease to human’s COPD. She was unsure if their medicine would work so she didn’t risk giving it without further research. It was very unhelpful. She just need to find Kolyat quickly now and hope for the best.

Thane followed her as she made her way to the briefing room where all the available ground crews were already present, waiting for her. Egil and Allon were also there in the corner being extra wary of the turian present. She took great pride in being fashionably late, now with a gorgeous drell behind her.

After making sure everyone could understand drells loud and clear, she started. “Alright people.” Shepard said, smashing her hands on the table. “We’re splitting into two teams today. Priority is to get Egil and Allon into safety. Thane?”

“The hanar keeps their base hidden and would be impossible to find using conventional means. Both Egil and Allon wouldn’t be able to pinpoint its location considering they have never been there, hence we would have to communicate using the intercom.” He explained, followed with nods from everyone. “Turians and batarians will be constantly monitoring the area, at least that was the case the last time I was in Kahje. We have to keep an eye out for them and possibly fight our way in.”

“I’ll go with Kaidan and Allon.” She nodded at the jade-scaled drell. “I’ll leave Thane and Egil with Tali and Nihlus.”

Thane nodded in approval and Shepard returned the gesture, surprised that he didn’t question her. Part of her thought he would insist to come with her. But it was vital to have someone that each drell would be comfortable around in order for them to move efficiently. Normally she would pick Nihlus over Kaidan due to the former being more compatible with her fighting style, but this mission would be different. In case they were discovered, Shepard and Nihlus would have better chance to straighten things up since they were spectres.

“Keep to stealth, people.” Shepard crossed her arms.

“That’s… our line, Shepard.” Nihlus’s mandibles flared in amusement when the human female glared hole at him. The rest of the ground crew chuckled while nodding in agreement.

“Alright you bastards, dismissed!” She exclaimed. When everyone left, Thane turned his back and was about to follow them only to be stopped by the commander.

“Yes, Shepard?” He smiled.

Her stomach did so much backflip she thought it was going to fall over and break its neck. She really shouldn’t have suggested him to call her by that. How would she ever manage him saying her first name then? She would have an orgasm right there _. ‘Focus, Jane, focus!’_ She slapped herself internally.

“Don’t overdo it.” She tapped him on the shoulder.

“The same goes for you, Shepard.”

They landed on two stranded areas using separate shuttles and got in position immediately, not forgetting to report their progress. It was smooth so far although she knew that something was bound to go wrong—it always does. It was a little difficult to try a stealth approach given her choice in partners. Kaidan was on the same boat as she was. He kept glancing back and forth as if he would step on a dry branch—a clichéd way to get caught.

Egil however, was doing a much better job of it. His steps were feathery light although not as quiet as Thane’s. She started to think that it was just a drell thing.

 _“How’s your side, Shepard?”_ A husky voice came through the intercom.

“Good so far. Don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it up though. The patrol’s getting tighter and tighter as we close in. “And Kaidan looks like he’s trying to lose some rabid fangirls.”

 _“I’m going to scout ahead and look for a more dispersed area.”_ Thane replied calmly after a small chuckle. _“Sir Kryik is quite proficient at staying in the shadows.”_

 _“If you’re comparing me to Shepard then yes.”_ Came another familiar dual-toned voice. She was about to reply but decided against it since she shouldn’t risk giving away their position.

They ventured forward, slowly but surely closing in to the landmark that Thane had stated prior to starting their mission. However, she was getting quite restless by the amount of patrols constantly walking, checking on every corners. She clicked her tongue in impatience and rolled to the side. When she looked back to her previous position, she noticed that Kaidan and Egil were no longer there.

 _‘Fuck!’_ She bit her thumbnail. Somewhere in the middle, she had walked too quickly or maybe went in a different direction altogether. Not only that, it was almost impossible for her to start contacting them in case the foes hear her. She was alone and would have no one to cover her. There were at least a dozen turian guards out there and no telling how many snipers.

It was odd that both of her partners refused to contact her—Thane had also gone silent. She quickly booted up her omnitool. _‘Communication is jammed. Wonderful.’_ The guards were probably keeping up contact using secure channel and the rest disturbed. _‘Oh well, no going back now.’_

She continued further, constantly ducking behind crates. It was almost incredible how she had yet to get spotted. But she could only hope that she wouldn’t jinx her luck. Shepard grabbed the knife slipped on the side of her boot as she advanced.

A tunnel. Thane had said something about that earlier. A small smile of accomplishment bloomed on her lips as she made her way inside, being wary for any traps that might be installed. Once she deemed the place safe, she turned on her omnitool once more to see no changes in the comm signal.

Shepard quickly made her way up the ledge on the side to stay on higher ground, reducing chance of discovery. She was unsure how long it had been since time ticked on painfully slowly. It didn’t help that the tunnel was awfully dark she could barely see anything in front of her.

Suddenly, she could hear screams and gunshots that made her paced forward and persistence was rewarded with a small hint of light from the other side. She walked to an open zone, lit by artificial lighting. Nothing prepared her for the sight that welcomed her when she looked down, however.

A familiar green drell was standing in the middle of dead bodies. Blood pooled on his feet but his expression remained dormant as if those massacre was invisible. His scales were adorned with fresh blue blood so were his lips. He idly wiped them with the sleeve of his tight leather as he made his way forward, crouching and inspecting the dead bodies.

With hands clasped together and eyes closed, he prayed. Shepard swallowed thickly at the sight. Sure, she had thought that he was a great fighter but this… this was on a whole another level. He had killed at least ten turians and batarians _alone._ From the look of it he wasted absolutely no unnecessary moves as the wounds came from their slit throats. Then there was the weird angle their heads were facing as their bodies lay motionless, presumably caused from broken necks.

_Angel of death._

Shepard held her breath as she watched him deep in prayer, body completely still. She gulped once more, taking one step to the right. In that instant, Thane turned his head swiftly to her direction, a submachine gun pointed at her.

“Shepard.” He started, lowering his gun immediately.

Sweat formed on her brow if it hadn’t already. He noticed her from the slightest movement. She hadn’t been exactly loud or anything. On the contrary, it was a very careful tiptoe but he managed to catch it. Truly terrifying but impressive all the same.

“Looks like you don’t need any help to begin with.” She said, the echoes carrying her voice forward.

Thane holstered his handgun. “You are overestimating me.”

Shepard walked across the ledge and jumped down when it came to a stooping end. “You killed them all alone. If anything, I underestimated you.”

“I’m certain you are able to accomplish the same feat, Shepard.” He nodded humbly while keeping his hands on his back. “Where are sir Alenko and Egil?”

“Got separated. Comm’s jammed too.” She said.

“Let’s head to the tower. We can only hope that they will make it there safely.” He responded concisely. Both of them made their way to the landmark they promised to meet at. There were enemies popping up every now and then but nothing that they couldn’t defeat together. For tactical purpose, Thane had intentionally walked on a higher ground in the shadows while Shepard on the ground. She would see a guard’s head being blown occasionally. It was like travelling with Garrus. Sneaky Garrus.

They had to wait quite a while but the whole team reached the spot on time with no major casualty. They had mostly evaded the enemies that discovered them, running their ass off to the meeting point. But of course their plan wouldn’t go according to their… plan. They got into a big shoot-off with the turians and batarians. Well Shepard preferred that much more a stealthy approach anyway. She gladly threw herself into the heat of the battle with a shotgun in her hands.

They successfully handed both Egil and Allon to the hanar who had their base hidden underground. Both of them said farewell and didn’t forget to thank the commander for her good deed.

Not only that, the hanar gave her a small bottle of balm that was said to help with Kepral’s to some extent. They bid their goodbye and went to use a shuttle through a secret passage.

“Never again.” Shepard groaned once they boarded the Normandy. She’s had enough of stealth to last a lifetime, although she did have to admit that she wished she could’ve seen Thane in action. “Joker, set course to Argos Rho immediately.”

“Roger that, Commander.” He replied.

“Are you alright, Shepard?” Thane glanced at her and she nodded quietly as they make their way to the elevator, having debriefed the crews.

“Just not used to being all sneaky.” She shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against his shoulder. Thane returned the intimacy by placing his hand on her waist and nuzzled her. The vibration and the hum of the elevator comforting if anything. “I want to spar with you.” She said suddenly.

Thane loosened his grip on Shepard and pulled away, looking at her in disbelief. “Even after what you have witnessed?”

“ _Especially_ after what I’ve witnessed.” She hummed, a shiver tingled her bones while remembering clearly how eerily calm he had been even after butchering so many at one time. Sharpshooters had been too common that she forgot how to be impressed anymore.

“I… have to deny your request, Shepard. I do not wish to impose harm upon you.” He calmly retorted.

“I want to know what you’re fully capable of.”

Thane sighed at the persistence she displayed. “Very well. Another time, perhaps, when we are not being restrained by fatigue.”

“Agreed. All I need right now is a warm shower and bed.” She grinned.

“Then I shall make dinner for you.” Shepard quickly stepped around and landed a chaste kiss on Thane’s lips, rewarded with a small rumble from his throat, sending chill down her spine.

She kept a smile on her face as the elevator closed once more and she walked into the cabin. It was quite… strange how he did not object the intimacies that she initiated despite the gentle rejection he voiced. While he never exactly attempted one with her, he didn’t shy away either. Of course Shepard was oddly grateful for the liberty he allowed but she still felt a little guilty for taking advantage of his gratefulness like that.

Yes, he did say that it was all he could offer her but it just didn’t sit well with her. At the same time she knew that it was a win-win for the two. She could have him for herself and he could feel like he was giving something back—Shepard understood that it wasn’t necessary. His presence alone was enough for her. It was damn wrong but she couldn’t stop doing it. She was addicted to him and she wasn’t afraid to admit it and was pretty sure that the man got that impression too.

When she finished showering and drying herself, she sat on her private terminal with a towel slung around her neck, wearing only a plain white tanktop and black panties. Not long after that, Thane arrived with a bowl of chicken soup for her and a couple of fruits that they ate on the bed while watching a movie on the omnitool.

She had her head on his shoulder and one foot tangled with his, empty bowl on her lap. They had stacked up the pillows behind them for more comfort. The movie had finished long ago, Shepard leaned further into him while reading through some reports on her datapad, almost pushing the drell off the bed but he just chuckled and held his ground with a book on his hand.

“Can’t you just… I don’t know, glance at a book and read it later?”

“That’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years of my life, Shepard.” He chuckled, turning the page. “I have never had the opportunity to calmly sit with a hardcopy in my hands.”

“Sorry.” She whispered, landing a small kiss above his frills. “Hm, are these… holes?” She poked at his frill where she could see three little marks. “Reminds me of piercings.”

Thane nodded glumly. “They are precisely what you suspected.”

Shepard didn’t miss a beat—she could visibly see the slight flinch in his expression. “Uhm… part of your childhood?”

“Yes.” He confirmed concisely. “Our frills are protected with tough scales but the flesh is soft and extremely sensitive.” The drell explained while she was busy inspecting it. She could tell he was being rather uncomfortable explaining so she didn’t make any attempt to push him. “This was the final test of my training as an assassin.”

At that, the commander eyed him in confusion. Being pierced was a test?

“Imagine a blade sinking through your stomach slowly. Imagine yourself completely bound while someone is taking their time at harming you. You are not allowed to scream or move. If you do any of those and you will be further punished.” He whispered.

Shepard winced at the imagery. She was a soldier, mentally tenacious but never been involved in any physical torture before.

“Once deemed worthy, you will be tested on your pain threshold. There is nothing that can hurt us more than having our frills pierced, Shepard.” Thane continued, voice low and she could see him flinch once more, eyes churning in pain.

“Tha—“

“I’m fine.” He brushed her off. “I was not allowed to make any noise or significant movement or it would be considered failure.” He grabbed her hand gently and brought it to rub against the holes.

“Six.” She breathed out after she finished letting him guide her fingers. So it was how he managed to stay sane after what he had went through—because none of the pain could compare with what he had gone through during the training.

“Usually three and you would be deemed worthy to be a top-class assassin, ready for the most challenging missions. But I insisted on doubling it.”

“They better be fucking impressed, Thane.”

“That they were.” He chuckled. “Did you know that having even one piercing on the frill is enough to make you one of the most sexually enticing drells?”

“Well guess you were a sex god back then. Did they gave you condoms as offering? Because I might start now.” Shepard chuckled and followed by the male. The more she learned about Thane, the more fascinated she became and the more her respect grew.

She moved to ghost her lips over his frills and feeling the vibrations as she did so. “Why did you take them off, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I suppose I do not wish to roam around, openly proclaiming that I am an assassin. There are some people who still would be able to tell the significance of the rings. Besides, they are only trophy and no one really goes into missions uncovering their true identities.”

“How many others aside from you?”

“None.” He whispered softly. “Most of the candidates… didn’t make it. I suppose I am lucky.” He continued.

“I’m sorry, Thane.” She said with equal softness and they fell silent as Thane eyed the book and Shepard her datapad. Neither of them able to focus.

“Is something wrong, Shepard?” He flung one arm around her and she snuggled closer if it was even possible.

“You’re cuddly.” She said, throwing her datapad to the ground before shoving his book away and putting her head on Thane’s lap. She put on some songs back from Earth as they indulged themselves in the free time.

“I never imagined the great Commander Shepard would be an affectionate type. Not after all the talks about how many thresher maws you have killed on foot.”

“Consider it privilege, sere Krios.” She grinned for a few moments before becoming still, hands pressed to his cheek. “Kiss me.” She whispered, knowing full well that he wouldn’t act without being told.

It was almost sad. She had never fell for another after she lost her lover back in Akuze and she thought she would never. She had spoiled herself in casual sex with those she trusted but was never brave enough to pick up where she left off. Now that she managed, the man didn’t, and possibly would never reciprocate the affection. His heart belonged to another and she understood the feeling of not being able to let go.

Thane leaned in to land a feathery kiss on her lips and Shepard tightened her grip on his face to pull him closer and deepening the contact. Both of them moaned as they slip their tongues into each other’s mouth and wrapping tightly on each other. Without realising it, she had rounded her arms around his neck, gliding mid-air to achieve more closeness. The drell supported her head and picked her off his lap.

He tasted so temptingly sweet—she could start to feel his venom flowing through his blood and setting her core aflame. Shepard set both of her knees on either side of Thane’s thighs and sat on his crotch to straddle him. Their kiss grew more desperate as they turned their head on an angle to find a comfortable position where they could deepen it more.

She was working on the clasps of his leather but stopped when she felt the entire ship shaking.

“Joker what the fuck was that?!” She immediately pulled back, lips swollen.

“We’re under attack, Commander!” He said frantically and she could feel the ground trembled as the pilot tried to manoeuvre to avoid whatever was targeting them.

“Fuck! Thane, help me.” She screamed out loud as she picked up the armour scattered on the floor. It was a mighty good thing she was underdressed so she didn’t have to strip anything off. “Joker, hold on!” She yelled into the intercom, both of them suddenly losing their balance due to the sudden impact.

Shepard took the handgun inside the drawer of her nightstand and ran for the elevator with Thane following her closely behind. He had a concerned look plastered on his face as the lift took them down to the CIC deck.

“Shepard!” Nihlus exclaimed when they arrived, fully equipped with helmet.

“What’s the situation?” Before anyone could answer the question, the ship shook once more, forcing everyone on the ground.

“A breach in the cargo bay, Commander!” Joker informed. “And another in the Engineering!”

“Make your way to the escape shuttle now!” She screamed out orders for everyone who immediately complied. Some of the crews looked so sick she thought they would retch right there.

“What about you, Shepard?” Tali and Kaidan asked at the same time when they saw the commander putting on her N7 helmet.

“Don’t worry about me, just go!” She insisted with a vivid red glow visible from behind the visor. A huge gap was torn from the top of the ship and in turn sucking all the gravity they had. Thane put the breather around his face and followed the commander while trying to hold on.

Shepard clicked her tongue as the magnetic boot stuck on the metal, slowing down her progress. It took a while but when she arrived in the cockpit, she grabbed Joker by the shoulders.

“Leave the fucking ship!” She snarled and literally dragged him off the chair and flung him across her shoulder, ignoring the complaints. The human female cursed loudly when another attack blew a part of the cockpit where Joker was sitting.

Thane took the pilot by the arm as they ran straight for the escape shuttle. Shepard made sure they walked in first and was about to enter when a red laser beam made a huge hole between them. The drell jumped up at the sight, was about to leave the shuttle and help her but she shook her head. There was no way she could jump over.

The release button however, she could reach.

“Sit, Krios.” She said. “That’s an order.”

As if on cue, the drell quickly took a seat, his nature getting the better of him. Shepard took a long, deep breath. If she pushed it, they would live. If she doesn’t then all of them would die. _‘Fuck it all.’_ She clicked her tongue, a finger reaching for the red button. Thane screamed out something but she couldn’t hear it through the vacuum.

She pressed the button.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13 is up at last~ if you're still reading this fanfic then thank you so much for your loyalty ;o;
> 
> Comments and kudos are wonderful <3

“What the fuck do you mean by Shepard is _dead_?” Garrus came from the corner of the hospital to grab Thane by the collar and yanking him closer so they were eye on eye. “You’re supposed to protect her, Krios! How could you let this happen to her?!”

“Garrus, please!” Nihlus grabbed the other turian on the arm tightly and ripped the two apart. “It was nobody’s fault. There was no way we could’ve stopped the attack.”

“Like hell I’m going to accept that poor excuse!” He snarled, letting out a trainwreck of subharmonic that was meant to intimidate the spectre. “You should’ve been there to protect her too, Nihlus! I sent you to her side for a _reason_. Spirits!”

“Don’t push me, Vakarian.” He rumbled back, returning his trill with another that was as hateful. “If I could then I _would_. Do you think this comes any easier for me? For us? We saw her getting spaced with our own. damn. eyes, while you’re sitting here on your ass and blaming us for everything! This is not going to help in any way!”

The blue turian flinched at the reply, knowing full well he was trying to win a losing fight. But try as he might he couldn’t let the anger inside him to cool down. Shepard was his best friend, that one person who he would be more than willing to follow to hell and back all over again just like when they hunted Saren together. “I… I’m… sorry, it’s just…”

“We’re all feeling the same thing. Times like this we shouldn’t turn around and start pointing fingers.” The spectre remarked calmly after a loud exhale. However Garrus knew better than the façade he put up. Nihlus had been very close with Shepard, possibly as close as he was with her. “I’m going to report this to the Council. They would want to hear about it.”

“Sir.” He bowed slightly in recognition although mind still disarrayed. After fighting beside her for so long, seeing her combat style, guess he just felt reassured—he had considered her as indestructible, immortal perhaps. That association came to bite him on the ass. He should’ve stayed in the Normandy.

Finally noticing an utter silence, he turned to see the drell standing still rooted to one spot. He had not muttered a single word after they have arrived in the hospital, nor had he attempted any significant movement aside from staring distantly at the ground.

“Krios, sorry for earlier. How are you doing? It must hit you pretty hard.” Garrus looked at him in sympathy, understanding completely what kind of thought must’ve gone inside his head.

The drell stayed quiet despite the question. His shoulders slumped and fingers limp. He looked so vulnerable at that moment. _“Her fingers soft on my cheeks, tracing circles idly. Brown eyes shining with affection. ‘Kiss me.’ She says, voice warm and welcoming. My heart trembles at the sincerity. Our lips meet, tongues battling for dominance. She tastes sweet, shivering under my touch as we deepen the kiss. My heart hammers in my chest, deafening screams in my head telling me to stop, but I can’t._

_“Loud crash, we part. The ship is under attack and we are unsafe. We hurry to the Combat deck, I watch her from behind with careful eyes. My stomach churns. Something is about to go wrong. Red laser tear the sky, gust of wind tries to take me away. She advances, so fearless, so powerful, so determined like the warrior angel she is. A true siha._

_“The fire dances around her as if submitting. Her footsteps firm reflecting her resolve to get the crews to safety. Even during an emergency she thinks of others. Another explosion on the cockpit. I take the pilot by the arm and head for the capsule. A laser cuts through, taking away her route to safety. My heart constricts in my chest, lungs threaten to shut down as she walks back._

_“I need to get to her. She is giving up. ‘Sit, Krios.’ Her tone cold and commanding, and I become still. Fear rushes through me. ‘That’s an order’. My heart pounds loudly. I need to follow orders. I am made to follow. I am not allowed to rebel. My eyes snap back open. She extends her hand to press the button. ‘Siha!’ I scream, but it is too late.”_

Garrus’s eyes were locked into Thane’s wide ones, mouth slightly agape at the recount of the moment. The drell looked away after he realised what he had done, not wanting to further discomfort the turian.

“I have failed.” His voice wavered uncharacteristically. “She died because of my weakness.”

“Krios, you heard Nihlus, there was noth—“

“No! I could’ve let her get into the escape shuttle before I did. I was foolish!” Thane raised his voice, making Garrus flinch. He had never heard him losing his cool. “What good is power if I cannot save the ones that matter?” The drell clenched his fists tightly and leaned against the wall.

The C-sec officer decided to not answer his rhetorical question—he could relate to the statement. Instead, he merely nodded sombrely, looking away from the man in front of him. It was fortunate enough that everyone came out with less than a scratch, so maybe they should stop bickering.

“What will you do after this, Krios?” He muttered. With Shepard gone, there was no reason for him to stay as a pet.

“The pet shop declares that in case of an owner death, I will be extracted.” Thane answered coldly, voice devoid of any emotion. At this rate, he couldn’t care less what happened to him. He had once more lost the only reason to live.

Garrus shook his head, knowing that Shepard would probably come over and smack him on the head if he allowed that to happen. “You’re coming with me.” He said. “Jane wouldn’t want you to be tied down again.” The drell eyed the turian suspiciously but failed to supress the surprised trill from his throat. “I’ll sign any paperwork they might have. I’m a C-sec officer, they’d allow that much.”

“As you wish, Officer.”

They then walked to Garrus’s residence which was just as compact as Shepard’s. They waited for a good few hours in silence, mourning for the loss of the commander.

Thane couldn’t shake off the guilt inside him. He could do nothing to stop her and he was sure that even if he tried, she wouldn’t have listened anyway. If only he had stayed behind Shepard and not walked ahead perhaps he would be able to save her. It was truly devastating. He had just came to trust another but to have them ripped away once more like that shattered him.

His fists shook—not from fear but from anger. Anger towards himself for not being able to protect her when she needed it the most. Unlike her, he had no one else to come home to. The galaxy would benefit more from the presence of Jane Shepard to a criminal like him. Yet Kalahira had to prolong his suffering and for the first time in a while, he asked _why_. Why couldn’t She take him instead of her? Without her around, he would once more turn into an empty, soulless vessel awaiting death.

Shepard saved him from the darkness, taking his hand when no one else would. She re-introduced him to the feelings he thought was lost forever. There was still so much he needed to say to her, so much to thank. Their time together was far too short.

His train of thought was disturbed by an oncoming call from Nihlus.

“Sir Kryik. How did it go with the council?” Garrus answered after they were connected. Thane straightened his back slightly as a sign that he was trying to listen to the conversation although he did not turn to face Garrus.

 _“They sent their useless condolence. Spirits, Vakarian. They’re not allowing us to search for her body.”_ Nihlus’s voice was dark, fuelled with anger.

“Are you kidding me?” He growled at the response, not missing the low rumble that Thane produced as he clasped his hands tighter on his chin. “You’re a spectre! That should count as something!”

 _“I still answer to the council. If I try to disobey them I’ll be classified as rogue. They’ll revoke my status and they’ll hunt me down.”_ The spectre snarled, obviously not happy at the result of the meeting.

“Then I’ll go.”

_“That’s reckless, Vakarian. The C-sec will not allow you to leave.”_

“Well then they better suck it up. Nothing will stop me from giving Shepard the respect she deserves. She saved the damn _galaxy,_ Kryik. Now they turn their back on her? That’s bullshit!” He smashed his talons on the table until it shook due to the impact.

_“Think of the consequences. You will be stripped off your rank! When you come back, you will have nowhere to go. They will blacklist you.”_

“Shepard is _dead._ ” Garrus emphasised the harsh fact. “If she’s not in Citadel then there’s no point in returning. The council betrayed her. If C-sec does the same then they’re no better. The whole damn galaxy owes her, spirits!”

 _“And_ what _? You’ll go vigilante?”_

“If that’s what it takes to get her body back.” He snarled at Nihlus’s unwillingness to go above and beyond for her. Maybe he had not been as close to her as he originally thought. “Ranks don’t matter anymore right now. If you refuse to sacrifice this much for her, then spirits be damned, I’ll go!”

There was a long silence before the spectre spoke again. _“We were attacked near Gemini Sigma. Take my ship and go, Vakarian.”_ Then he hung up.

“Officer, I am coming with you.” Thane appeared suddenly behind his back, making his shoulders tensed. “This is as much my affair as it is yours.”

“Not going to object in the first place, Krios. Let’s go.”

**Jane Shepard**

She had lost count how many days it had been since she was stranded on the abandoned planet. It was a mighty good thing that the particular place had rather breathable air or she would’ve died from lack of oxygen. She was convinced that the alliance would’ve declared her dead at this point, but it was aggravating that no one had bothered to send a rescue team to extract her body.

It had been a lucky landing, truly a miracle that she was alive. Thanks to the newly-modded armour that she wore, she managed to minimise the burning as a result of plunging deep into the atmosphere. However, as a result her body had suffered terrifying burning wounds despite the metal being insulated to prevent heat build-up. She also managed to scavenge some medigel that were lying around in a ship wreckage. Had it not been for her luck at landing site, she would’ve been really dead.

Her omnitool and intercom were destroyed, leaving her alone in the planet, trying to find a way to survive. She had been sceptical of the food there but decided to eat it anyways. Hopefully it won’t have any odd side effects on humans. The last thing she needed was food poisoning.

She had been walking nonstop every day to find any hint of civilisation or perhaps other species, preferably humans since she didn’t have her translator. Well, that summed up her everyday pretty much. Just waiting for rescue.

Despite not having a mad stomach ache yet, she had noticed one thing: hallucination. She was damn sure that it wasn’t that she was breaking down. She confided in her mental strength and was sure that it wouldn’t fail now. The only explanation was either the thing she consumed or the air.

Sometimes she would see her companions welcoming her—Garrus, Nihlus and Tali being the most common ones. And then there was the one with Thane sleeping next to her. Yes, good dreams, she decided. It had been quite devastating the first time it occurred but as time went on, she learned to indulge in those images. If she was going to die eventually, better make the most out of it. Besides it wasn’t like there was anyone around to chastise her.

She had to admit that it was quite an unhealthy habit, but after being alone for who knew how long, she desperately wanted a company. Or something to take her mind off the quietness. She was too used to being with a rowdy bunch that silence made a negative impact on her morale.

Her ears suddenly caught movements from the bush. She had been avoiding the forest from the beginning, not wanting anything to jump at her. However, she was fully aware that not even an open land would be safe. She was beginning to regret not paying attention to those survival classes.

She heard a loud howl, followed by another and she immediately looked around for anything that might be useful to have as a weapon. She crouched low as she grabbed a stranded branch that had fell from a tree. Its tip was rather blunt but would be sharp enough to inflict injury if used correctly.

A large varren-like animal leaped towards her and she used the object in her hands to smash it hard across the face, making it whine and fell to the side. Then another came from behind her, almost taking her by surprise but she ducked, and it missed. She charged forward, channeling her biotic towards her hands and released, throwing the animal to the sharp stone behind it.

This time, three jumped at her at the same time. Her reflex was faster than their movements though, so she easily avoided their attack. When she realised, there was at least a dozen of them circling around her and she gritted her teeth. She let another round of biotic envelop her body and let them free. It was effective but the cooldown pushed her to the edge as time went on. There were never-ending waves of them and she was losing her touch fast.

The food that she consumed wasn’t enough to support her and she cursed loudly, almost screaming.

“Like hell I’m going to die here!”

One of the animals grabbed her on the back and sunk their large fangs on her shoulder, making her cry out in pain. It took a while but she shrugged it off before getting dog-piled into certain death. Another one lunged towards her face when she was distracted and she gasped, closing her eyes

But the animal never made it. When she regained her sight once more, one by one they fell before her.

There was a gibberish from behind her, followed with a “Commander Shepard” that made her turn back, wanting to take a look at the one who helped her.

“You!” She exclaimed at the sight. A familiar drell with rainbow scales was standing in front of her, bloodied knives in both hands. When he talked once more however, she cocked her head to the side. “My intercom got destroyed. I can’t understand shit. Are you talking about how you’re going to kill me now?” She groaned. He was the assassin hired by the shadow broker to eliminate her, as far as she was concerned. Now he was probably there to complete the job.

Feron took one of the intercoms from somewhere underneath his red muscles and extended his hand to give it to her. Shepard narrowed her eyes at the gesture, couldn’t help but think that it was a trap. But after he insisted, she took it tentatively and put it in her ear. A little small but she could live with it.

“I’m here to rescue you, Commander.” He said, voice raspy.

“Why? Weren’t you sent to kill me?”

The drell looked into her eyes and blinked a few times before sighing. “That was my mission, yes. But now you’ve been claimed dead, the Shadow Broker sent me here to extract your body.”

“What purpose might my dead body serve?” She crossed her arms.

“As a trophy.”

“Now you tell me that I’ll never come with you.”

“But I have no plan to follow my orders.” Feron explained calmly. “I merely needed the information on your whereabouts. Now that I found you, I wish to take you to Krios.” At the confused look on her face, he continued. “I need you to free the drells from slavery. Right now, you’re the only one who would openly support our rights.”

“And why would I trust you?”

“Because you have no other choice.” He answered coldly. “Now come with me, Commander.”

Shepard was deep in thought. She didn’t know how powerful he was but she was pretty sure he wouldn’t parallel Thane’s skill. Besides, he was right. She had no other choice—come with him or die there. She’d rather pick the former. If things go south and he was trying to trick her, at least she would die fighting.

“Alright. I’ll take your word. But you better answer my questions.” She said at last, followed with a nod from him and they made their way towards his ship. “Who attacked the Normandy?”

“Shadow Broker agents.”

“They double book assassins?” Shepard cocked one of her eyebrows.

“Not usually. You are an exception.”

“Ain’t I flattered.” She sneered at the response. However, her mind flew back to her companions. “What happened to everyone?”

“They are alive.” Feron said, rewarding him with a relief sigh from the human. “Your friend Vakarian is not dealing with your death as well as the others.”

Shepard’s heart stopped beating for a millisecond at the mention of Garrus. He had not done anything foolish right? He eyed the drell cautiously, wanting him to elaborate on it.

“It had been three months since you were reported MIA—dead.” He started. “From the day he received the news, he went with Krios to search for your body to no avail. As a result, he had been blacklisted by the C-sec who received strict order from the council to not let anyone near this star system.”

“That idiot!” Shepard gritted her teeth in frustration over her friend’s recklessness. “And?”

“He has taken residence in Omega. Until a month ago, he had been with Krios. But based on what limited information I was given, they separated.”

“You’d better take me to him right this instant.” She glared hole at the drell when they arrived on his ship.

“No, Commander. I have received information regarding Kolyat’s whereabouts. That will be our first destination.” Feron answered while they entered the airlock to undergo the decontamination procedure.

“He’s _alive_? How did you find out?”

“It wasn’t easy but I managed to persuade the Shadow Broker to give me the information. He got suspicious of me so now it’s better that I try to cut contact with him.” He said while tinkering with the holos on the cockpit. “I’ll try to strip the ship from his radar.”

“I heard double crossing the Broker isn’t a good idea, Feron.”

“And I heard double crossing Commander Shepard is also not a good idea.”

“Smartass.” She smirked, deciding that he was in her good book for now. At least he looked sincere in his attempt to rescue her. “One wrong move and I’m gunning you down.” She said, gripping the handgun on the seat, not caring if she’d go down with him.

Feron took his omnitool off and smashed it to pieces after he finalised his setting on the ship. “Hopefully this is enough.” It was small, only about three times the size of a normal shuttle.

“I heard some stories about you from Thane.”

The drell’s hands froze on the control at the mention of the assassin’s name. “Of course.” He simply retorted, preparing the ship for a take-off. “We will have long to converse about the topic. For now, we have to focus on finding Kolyat.”

“Why do you insist on curing Thane?” She squinted her eyes, curiosity getting the better of her.

“He’s my friend, no matter what happened between us.” Feron answered. “Besides, if the drells have any hero left to look up to, it would be him. Did Krios tell you about his missions?”

The female shrugged. “He never talked to me about his career.”

“Most of his tasks involve freeing captive drells. If I remember correctly, he had saved over two hundred. When the news broke that he died a decade ago, we were devastated. I couldn’t believe he was dead either.”

Shepard’s eyes twinkled with interest at the news. “He became an assassin to fight for drell rights?”

“That’s one way of looking at it. I don’t think he particularly enjoyed taking people’s lives in the beginning. But again, most don’t.” He patiently explained, noting her fascination. “There’s some food on the refrigerator if you are hungry. The flight will take around four days.”

“Where are we going?”

“Kolyat’s location in Citadel. Here’s the exact coordinates.” Feron said while putting up the HUD and pointing at the highlighted section. “We will be going in on stealth. It will be much appreciated if you do not try to contact your spectre friend or anyone at all. We can’t afford to alert the Broker agents.”

Shepard rolled her eyes at the ‘s’ word. Not again! “And after we extract him I guess we’re going after Thane next?”

“Yes. His current status is unknown at the moment but I can confirm that he is alive. With my omnitool, I have access to Broker’s first-level terminal. We’ll be able to track any updates to some extent.” He said, whipping out an extra omnitool under the pilot seat and putting it on his arm. “This one is free of any tracking device.”

“You can actually access some info? The Shadow Broker doesn’t strike me as the sharing type.”

“I’m one of his top informants.”

They became silent for a few hours, only accompanied with the hums of the engine and the munching noise from Shepard eating a fruit. She was concerned for Thane and hoped that he wouldn’t get into unnecessary troubles. Garrus too—how could he go against C-sec just to get her? There were too many questions in her head but she didn’t have any strength to voice it out loud as her eyes closed and she drifted off.

**Thane Krios**

Thane’s eyes were glued to the screen, intently hoping for any good news in the news. It was currently showing the discovery of a ship wreckage that was presumed as Normandy. No survivors were discovered on board and the commander’s body was nowhere to be found.

He still refused to believe that she was dead. Somewhere in the back of his head, he was convinced that she eluded the shore, but without any tangible evident he knew that it was nothing but hopeful thinking. He and Garrus had scouted all the planets in Gemini Sigma but had yet to find any sign of her. One full month of worrying and day by day they became less and less confident in her chance of survival.

Garrus still kept in touch with Nihlus to update him but it was getting less and less frequent. Came the second month, all contact ceased. He had left a message to the spectre to come and get his ship from Omega. They had also met briefly, Nihlus informed him that his concerns were right. Garrus had been stripped off his rank and if he decided to return, his father really wouldn’t be pleased.

The blue turian let out a nonchalant subharmonic, signifying the fact that he really didn’t care and would rather get away from the council before he sniped all of them.

“Although...” Nihlus said, booting up his omnitool. “Councillor Sparatus has revoked any charges made towards you from the C-sec.” He presented a holo of the turian with a recorded message, along with a signed file. “He sent you some credits along with his condolence.”

“What, he took a bite from the humble pie?” The turian said with a saying that Thane could only presume he learned from Shepard. “If he really feels sympathy then he should’ve approved your proposal to look for her to begin with.”

“An attack that destroyed the Normandy. I get why they were being cautious but I agree that it was unreasonable.” Nihlus nodded before turning to face Thane. “And how are you faring, Krios?”

“I am well, thank you.” He blatantly lied although the two turians seemed to believe it. Possibly because the lack of emotion on his face. The spectre regarded his answer with a firm nod before focusing back at Garrus.

The former C-sec officer had been hospitable to him and for that, he was grateful. However they tended to spend their time together in utter silence with occasional discussion about the news in their small apartment. Both of them really needed a job before they eat away all their remaining credits. However, Omega wasn’t friendly to strangers or anyone, on that matter.

It was two months later that Thane decided to move out. They had survived thanks to the credits transferred by Sparatus that one time and some others by Nihlus. Garrus had denied the aid but the spectre insisted, saying that he needed to find a solid job. Thane knew that he was feeling guilty due to his unwillingness to let go of his position to go with them to look for Shepard.

The drell didn’t wish to impose more burden on the turian. So when he was fast asleep, Thane packed his belongings and weapons along with some thermal clips and left. He never told Garrus but whenever he was out doing freelance jobs, Thane had been trying to extract information on the slaver group that killed Irikah. Although he still had yet to find a solid evidence, he could somewhat interweave the pieces together.

It would be his last mission.

With Shepard gone, he had no other reason to live. So he shut himself off any emotions or distant memories as he melded into the shadow, pursuing his first target that might lead him into the slavers’ base.

First it was a turian who had acted suspiciously a few days ago near the apartment. It was by pure chance that he stumbled upon him and decided to hang around discreetly to see what he was up to. When an asari met with him, Thane had tailed them to one of the many secluded corners in Omega. He was appalled to see that they were processing a drell transaction.

Using the tracker that he borrowed from Garrus, he was able to locate him quite easily though he would rather to stay in the shadow. He observed his movements for a few days until it was safe to assume that he was merely a messenger hired by the group. They were much careful than he had originally thought.

Thane made his move at last when he was wobbling out of Afterlife with an asari in his arm, heading to a private apartment. He waited for them to finish devouring each other and until the asari left.

He unlocked the windows with deft hands, walking quietly to unleash his biotic, putting him in stasis before bounding his hands and feet. The turian growled and struggled with futility at the strength of the intruder’s hands before supressing a surprised trill to see a drell standing in front of him.

Without thinking twice, he forced drell language comprehension software into his intercom using his omnitool and looked away, giving him a clear view of the blade in his hand. It was too small to inflict fatal wound but from the strangled noise the turian made, he could tell that he understood completely why he had chosen such a flimsy-looking weapon.

“It would be beneficial for you to cooperate.” Thane started, rewarding him with a snarl which he ignored. “Where is the location of the slavers that you work with?”

“I don’t know.” He spat out, disgust clear in his voice.

The drell walked forward to slip the knife under the crook of his mandibles and applying pressure until blue blood dripped down. The taller alien yelped in pain at the sensation. “Where are they?”

“I don’t fucking know!”

Thane’s eyes were expressionless as he swiped the biotic-enhanced blade with his full strength to cut through his mandibles enough to leave them dangling on the side of his cheek and rewarding him with a deafeningly loud yell. “I have tortured your kind enough to be able to land one thousand thirty two cuts before you bleed to death.”

“They’ll get you for this…” He gasped for air as blood dripped to the bedsheet.

He was silent and calm when he withdrew the small knife to hover it above his left eye, warning him.

“They’ll get you! They’ll—“ He couldn’t finish his sentence as a loud howl echoed in the room. He kept the weapon still in his eye where blood trickled down his plates, making him squirm and snarl at the same time. “Stop it! You’ll regret—“ Another loud cry as Thane rotated the blade.

“You are prolonging your suffering.” He whispered lethally, yanking out the knife.

“O-one of them works as a bartender in Afterlife.”

The drell nodded although face remained unreadable as he circled behind the turian. His hands were visibly shaking and there was a deep rumble from his throat. With a thunderous speed, Thane grabbed one of his fringes and snapped it off like it was nothing but a branch. The turian bellowed in pain at the damage.

“Lying to me is not the best way to proceed.” At the uncoherent snarls he gave him, Thane used the fringe he had in his hand and swung it across his face, making his loose mandibles came off and fell on the floor with a loud screech from the man. The bedsheet was dirtied with blue blood and so was the ground he was standing at.

“V-VIP area!” He abruptly cried out. “VIP area of the Afterlife. The batarian near the dance floor. His name is Utzon. Please let me go.” He shivered, voice clearly wavering at the emotionless onyx eyes staring deep into him. Thane didn’t let his vision stray away from the terrorised turian who was letting out a shaking but gentle subharmonic to signify submission. After a good few minutes, he nodded, deciding that he was telling the truth.

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise coming from his omnitool and Thane tilted his head as a gesture for him to pick it up. It was a voice-only message, quite intimate. Presumably from his wife.

 _Wife._ He gritted his teeth in anger at the reminder of what they had ripped from him. With his head devoid of any images and thoughts, he grabbed the knife carefully sheathed underneath his cloak and pointed it at the turian’s heart.

“Please, please. Please let me go.” He pleaded desperately when the tip of it started to sink deeper. “Please, I have a wife. I have a son. Please.”

“Do you love them?” He whispered darkly, stopping the motion of the weapon.

The turian was very still as he nodded aggressively. “Yes. Spirits. Yes I love them.”

“Is that so.” He withdrew the knife back slightly, not missing the relief sigh that escaped from his mouth plates. After silence that seemed like an eternity, the drell leaned closer to him, eyes never wavered and voice monotone. “But what good is love to a dead man?”

The turian’s eyes widened and mouth parted to say something that was never voiced as Thane drove the knife deep into his heart.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's rather hard to write... but I'm glad it turned out okay. Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading this far-- kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated! <3
> 
> [16/12] Edited some inconsistencies

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard had to settle with Feron’s oversized casual shirt and pants as she let her clothing dry in the bathroom. It was mighty good that she had quite broad and muscular shoulders otherwise they would probably dangle off the sides. They spent most of their times in silence, accompanied with only the hums of the engine. Their sleep schedule was quite different. Whereas Shepard had six hours, he had three two to three hours cycle.

She knew both of them weren’t able to sleep soundly since they were still wary of the other, neither of them wanted to let their guard down. Well of course it hadn’t been that easy to sleep light—it took years for Shepard to master the skill of setting whether she wanted to sleep light or heavy like a corpse who wouldn’t even hear the reapers destroying her front door.

When they reached Citadel, with her clothes this time, they immediately set to work on finding Kolyat. Feron had to pull some serious strings in order to make their arrival discreet but of course he couldn’t do it without Shepard’s affiliation with Bailey. With her disguise neatly in order, she had pulled the C-sec commander to the corner and told him the dirtiest secrets he had accidentally spouted in front of her a few years ago as a proof that she really was Shepard.

It took some convincing but he finally relented after being blackmailed by her. He definitely wouldn’t want anyone to know what he was up to in private. So he created a fake ID for her to go through security clearances without her DNA popping up as Commander Shepard.

Feron had worn a replica of a disciplinary collar, complete with a chain that connected it to create an image of a mistress and her loyal pet. Shepard had been offended when he suggested the idea—she didn’t want to hold the chain. But she knew that she would have to for disguise purposes.

“You sure none of the Broker’s agents will recognise you?” She whispered in hushed voice while uncomfortably tugging on the long dress that they bought earlier.

“I always work alone. I assure you no one but the Broker even knows what I look like.”

“Alright, just making sure.” She said but came to an abrupt halt as soon as she saw a dark-plated turian with white marking running across his face. He was talking to a C-sec officer when he turned to her direction, eyes widening slightly. Nihlus.

Shepard’s heart lurched at the sight. Their cover was going to be blown before they even reached fifteen minutes. She could see his mandibles flicking a few times reflecting a mix of uncertainty and hope. Even when she broke their eyecontact, she could feel his eyes drilling into her.

Feron didn’t miss a beat. He ‘accidentally’ moved behind her, facing away and whispered. “Beat me, Shepard.” She looked back in surprise at the horrifying advice. “We have no time. He’s going to see through your disguise and alert the spies. Do it now.” He said calmly while turning around and pretending to bump into her. “S-sorry, mistress!” He wailed in horror and she had to say that it was very convincing.

She took a deep breath and turned around to punch him on the gut, being mindful of her strength. “How dare you touch me, you filthy animal!” She knew that the blow wasn’t a powerful one, but Feron’s act made it seem like it was. He fell to the ground and coughed a couple of times.

“I’m very sorry, mistress. I’m sorry. Please don’t beat me.” He gurgled, instantly making Shepard flinch. Her fist shook in disgust despite knowing that it wasn’t real. She forced her eyes shut as she tried to convince herself that it was all an act.

She tugged on the chain softly but the drell’s sudden movement was quite convincing. He got to a standing position, both of them rewarded with small chuckles from the passerbys. It was plain loathsome how supportive they seemed at the abuse. Shepard had to stop herself from slapping some sense into them.

When she glanced at Nihlus, he was no longer looking at her and instead walked away.

“Sorry. Did it hurt?” She whispered as they resumed their march.

“No. Thank you.” He regarded her gently while following closely behind.

“Never ask me to do that again, Feron.” The commander glared at the drell.

“If we can help it.” He retorted simply, blatantly ignoring the cold stare he received. Shepard sighed as she started to wonder if all drells were eerily calm like that. They chatted about the details of the mission as they went and a good thirty minutes later, they arrived in front of the grand apartment they suspected where Kolyat was located.

“Alright. How do we proceed?” She asked, desperately wanting to storm the place and shoot everyone until they found the boy but somehow she knew that the blasted ‘s’ word was going to come again.

“We’re going by stealth.” There. There. She fucking knew it. Of course stealth of all method. “Security is tight so we have to sneak through them. I can cloak but I doubt it’d be effective.” He said, opening up a blueprint of the building through his omnitool.

“There’s no other entrances.” Shepard whispered, observing the building plan closely. “And they have varrens sniffing everywhere.”

Feron was silent as he continued to focus, trying to find an alternative. “There.” He pointed. “Air vent. Small but we should be able to fit perfectly. We’ll get closer and I’ll run analysis of any security system they might have there.”

She nodded as they separated and made their way to the back of the building, sending signal through each other’s omnitool. After noticing that the coast was clear and they were about to climb the tall tree to get over the fence, Shepard noticed a small whine coming from the corner.

“Feron, you hear that?” She whispered curiously, mind on full alert.

Both of them were dead silent as they tried to catch the noise. When it happened again, she thought she would lose Feron of she blinked. He moved so quickly to peer and he let out an audible trill that made Shepard followed on his trail. She let out a loud gasp of horror at the sight.

There was a drell lying on the ground, a disciplinary collar still flashing blue with lighting. His scale was a pale teal colour and she could visibly see pink flesh peeking from different parts of his body. He was nude, only covered in tight leather brief that exposed his abused and burnt skin. The drell was visibly shivering at the aftershock of the electric current, pain clear in his eyes.

Shepard couldn’t mask her anger at that moment. How could someone treat a living being, capable of speech and thoughts like _that_? She wouldn’t even do that to her dogs. “Feron, we’ve got a mansion to fucking _obliterate_.” She whispered, biting her lower lip so hard she thought it would bleed.

“Kolyat.” She crouched, be careful to not make any unnecessary gesture that would make him shut her off. The drell’s eyes flickered with light at the mention of a name he thought he would never hear again.

“Not Kolyat. Not Kolyat.” He repeated, voice hoarse and trembling. “Not Kolyat.”

“Please, I’m here to rescue you.” She said, extending her hand.

“No!” The answer was instant as he slapped away the outstretched arm. “No escape attempt… I won’t… I won’t run away anymore… Master will…” He shook violently, scooting away from her with fear in those dark eyes. Suddenly, she could see his shoulders tensed before they relaxed slightly, breathing becoming less forced.

Feron crouched in front of him while looking deep into his eyes. She couldn’t hear a thing but he was doing something, she knew it. Maybe some sort of subharmonic only audible to drells? Whatever it was, it was working.

“Kolyat Krios. My name is Feron, and this is Commander Jane Shepard. We’re here to take you to safety.”

She could once again see the fear in his dark eyes as he shook his head violently—possibly an attempt to banish the memories in his head. Voice low and quivering, he said. “They’ll come after me. They always do.”

The more colourful drell booted up his omnitool and she could see Kolyat flinching at the device. “Kolyat, I need you to calm down. Can you do that for me, please? We’re not going to hurt you, I promise.” She said while holding eyecontact despite her boiling anger at brutal the treatment he had been receiving.

Feron let out a small rumble that Shepard could hear as he scanned the other drell from top to bottom, deactivating any tracker he might have installed in his body.

“Can you stand up, Kolyat?” Shepard asked, still crouching so they were on eye level. The drell pursed his lips, eyes actively avoiding hers as he nodded slightly. “Come on.” She smiled soothingly, keeping her voice gentle as she once again extended her arm. This time he tentatively reached towards it and she remained still, waiting for him to seek it out on his own.

Unlike Thane, Kolyat’s face was longer, jaw more defined and chin longer. He had marking above his eye ridges and cheeks whereas Thane only his forehead and back. However, he shared the same dark pine pupils that his father had.

When their fingers touched together, Shepard smiled wider as she led him into a standing position. “That’s it. That’s it. Good man.” She whispered soothingly. “We’re getting you out of here, okay?”

The drell nodded although still shaking in fear and eyes warily glancing to the two hospitable beings in front of him, as if expecting them to start abusing him. “Please, I want to leave, please.” He whined, tightening the grip on their hands, forgetting the amount of raw strength that he possessed.

Shepard winced at the pressure but decided to not let it show. Hopefully she won’t suffer from broken bone later. “Do you need help walking, Kolyat?” She softly asked, not forgetting to use his birth name to put him at ease.

“I’m… fine…” He croaked, refusing to let go of her hands, afraid that if he did he would lose his mean of escaping.

“Commander, we need to leave now.” Feron urged when he noticed movements on his radar.

“Not before I sink the bastard’s skull in.” She snarled, still upset about Kolyat’s condition. The drell flinched at the aggressive gesture but still refused to release her hand.

“Not now.” He said once more. “We need to move!”

“Fuck!” She groaned, finally relenting after she heard loud shuffling noise from the other corner. All three of them made their way far away, escaping the enemies. All the way to Feron’s ship, Kolyat still gripped tightly onto her like his life depended on it. She didn’t brush him off despite the stinging pain her bones experienced because of drells’ infamous raw strength.

Once inside, Shepard immediately set to work. Without any permission, she raided Feron’s medigel dispenser to apply the cool balm all over his fresh open wounds. The boy was shivering but it seemed like he had relaxed more than when she found him. The infiltrator moved his ship, flying away from the Citadel as she continued to massage the medigel all over Kolyat, sloppily dressing the wounds to prevent infection.

“Kolyat, I need to talk to you about your fa—“

“Commander.” Feron cut her sentence. “One thing at a time.”

She quickly sealed her lips, understanding Feron’s intent. He was exhausted and shaken, it was not the correct time to break the news that his father was still alive. Alive but dying. Kolyat gave her a questioning look as she unclasped the collar on his neck and dropped it onto the floor before kicking it away. He took a deep breath at the freedom his throat suddenly allowed.

“I… Thank you, mistress.” He bowed deeply.

“Please. Shepard is fine.” She lifted her hands up in submission. But at the way he blinked made her think of Thane when she had first told him to call her that. And just like him, he insisted to call her mistress. However this time, she managed to convince him otherwise.

“S… Shepard…?” He muttered tentatively, being careful of any subtle change in her expression that didn’t happen.

“That’s it.” She smiled. “Feron, where are we going now?”

“Omega.” He answered while keeping his hands busy on the console. “I’ve been cut off from the Broker’s terminal. He noticed my betrayal.”

“Shit.” Shepard bit her thumb nail at the revelation. “Is he gonna go after you?”

“Most likely. I’ve wiped the ship from his radar so it’ll take longer for him to trace us. Still, I’d rather be careful.” Feron said with an edge on his voice. He was nervous, but even she would be too. “This is a problem. We still don’t have his exact location.”

“What about Garrus?”

“It’s advisable that we don’t see him. We need to stay low as much as possible.”

Shepard understood the need for stealth but she wanted to tell Garrus that she was alive, more than anything she wanted to see him and hear the voice that never failed to comfort her no matter the situation. But if she was to do that, they were going to jeopardise their own safety and in turn, Thane’s.

“Shepard.” Kolyat called out, voice raspy although getting less forced due to the hydration he received. She broke her train of thought as she turned her head to look at him. “May I hold your hand?”

She chuckled. “As long as you don’t threaten to break it like before then by all means.”

“Sorry.” He said apologetically as his quivering hand made its way to hers and the digits intertwined uncomfortably. The warmth reminded her of that moment when Thane’s hand had tightly gripped hers in the elevator and she found her heart pounding loudly. How she wanted to see the man again and feel his body so close to hers.

Unlike the intimacy that Shepard and Thane had been enveloped in, Kolyat was merely seeking comfort. He was still traumatised by the events in his life and she was fortunate she met when she did or it would be much harder to save him.

“Are you okay, Kolyat?”

“Yes.” He answered hesitantly, possibly a bluff. There was no way in hell someone would be fine after what happened to him for who knew how long. “Why did you rescue me?”

“No one deserves to be treated this way. Your species has it the worst with your eidetic memory and all.” She gripped Kolyat’s hand reassuringly.

“You know about our eidetic memory?” He blinked in surprise.

“Well yeah, I’m really close with your dad—“ Shepard stammered, slapping her mouth aggressively, eyes widening in horror. “I mean my dad. He knows a lot about drells. Sorry.” She stammered but Kolyat seemed to believe her anyway.

“Dad…” He whispered softly. “I was told that my dad died when I was born…”

Shepard looked at Feron’s back pleadingly, desperately not wanting to lie to the boy. If it was someone else, bluffing would be a cinch. But the poor thing, he had been through a lot and she couldn’t bring herself to not tell the truth. “Feron…” She whined.

“Who told you?” The other drell asked, noticing Shepard’s conflict.

“The slavers.”

“I wouldn’t trust them if I were you. They would do absolutely anything to make you feel like you’re alone.” Feron continued, letting out a small comforting rumble. “He could be alive for all we know.”

“But why didn’t he come for me?!” His voice turned louder while still having its husky quality. “If he’s alive and he still cares about me, why didn’t he protect me?!”

Shepard winced at the accusation. She knew full well that Thane had thought Kolyat was dead too, which was the reason why he didn’t make any significant attempt to find him. The cruel world had estranged a family that would’ve lived happily ever after, a family who loved one another.

“I’ve suffered so much… yet he… he never tried…” The boy’s voice trembled as he choked back tears.

Her free hand immediately made its way to Kolyat’s left shoulder before she pulled him in into a deep hug that was long overdue. She could feel his gasp but was quickly masked by pathetic trill. She took her hand away from his firm grip and rubbed his back gently.

“Your dad would have a reason, Kolyat. No parent bears ill will to their children.” She said while trying to soothe the boy who was whimpering on her chest. “I’m sure wherever he is, he’d feel guilty for leaving you for so long, and that he’d give anything for a second chance with you again.”

The tears that flooded his eyes soon came dripping out as he cried out loud in her embrace. He muttered incoherently as he spilled years’ worth of tears that was not associated with physical scar. It made Shepard’s heart jerked violently in its socket. She wasn’t sure what his attitude would be once he found out that Thane had been alive all along. And nor could she imagine how Thane would react seeing his treasured son so broken and so alone all these times.

His crying eventually slowed down to sniffles and before she knew it, he was asleep in her arms.

**Thane Krios**

It had been exactly four months since Shepard’s disappearance— _death._ He had to continuously convince himself that. For some odd reason, his bran was trying to tell him otherwise but he knew better than to let such hopeful thought consume him. Wherever she was, she would be in a better place, he told himself. Of course he still regretted not using their time together more effectively. The first friend he made in twenty years, now gone.

Thane spent his mornings mostly sleeping in a hidden corner or sometimes the air vent when the road bustled. He had no luxury to lie down in bed anymore. At night he resumed hunting his prey. It wasn’t straightforward, never was and never would be.

He had taken out at least a dozen people in attempt to track down the ridiculously low profile slaver ring. But not even their patrons knew exactly where they were located. He did well making their deaths seem like accident or someone else’s doing but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep it up. The Pirate Queen of Omega was bound to find out about these “accidents” sooner or later. She had eyes and ears everywhere.

Thane was getting restless. His search had not been fruitful. It wasn’t a surprise considering that he was alone in the investigation but it was still getting under his skin how slowly he was advancing.

His sleep was disturbed when he heard shuffling noises from under him. With eyes constantly scanning the area, he slowly got to a standing position on the unfinished construction site just above the abandoned market. He was convinced that no one ever used the path anymore, so hearing movement put his mind on alert.

Gripping the M-4 Shuriken that was given by Shepard in tightly in his hand, he moved while observing his surroundings. He also had Widow holstered on his back although he barely ever used it.

He was being pursued. Of course Aria would be able to trace him eventually but he never thought it would _that_ fast. Had he been careless and gave himself away? While it was true that he didn’t take the necessary precaution to hide the corpse of his kills, what he did should be enough to divert the suspicion that the murderer was only one person.

Thane melded with the shadow in one swift movement, drell eyes allowed him to see clearly through the dark. Keeping his ears open, he silently made his way along the walkway to get a clear view of the pursuer. It seemed like whoever it was had stopped moving. They didn’t know where he was.

The drell holstered his Shuriken only to grab his carefully maintained sniper rifle. He jumped over a couple of crates and more to get to a nice vantage point. He could see a tall armoured figure, head covered with helmet. A turian.

Gripping the weapon tightly in his hand, he placed one finger on the trigger as he looked through the scope. Blue and silver armour. It was familiar and Thane held his breath. It was Garrus.

Thane lowered his gun, still unsure whether he should approach him or not. But after a minute of contemplation, he decided not to. There was no telling how much of a loyalty he would have for Aria and he wouldn’t risk to let his guard down even around him. He holstered the gun and walked away.

“I know you’re here!” Garrus said suddenly, stopping him on his track. “I’m not going to kill you.”

Thane blinked at the statement. Was he lying to draw him out, or was he being genuine? He thought back to analyse the turian’s personality and nodded to himself. He definitely wasn’t the type of person who would be a hitman in Omega, not with the sense of justice he had. However, the drell decided to wait before he let the turian spot him.

“You’ve been impressive. Taking out all the people I’ve been targeting and making it seem like it’s the work of different people.” He lowered his weapon. “I want to know if we share the same objective. I can use someone like you.” Garrus continued as he looked around. “This place is littered with crimes—the strong devours the weak. Don’t you think it’s appalling? I’m here to change it, no matter how insignificant it may be.”

Thane moved quickly along the walkway and jumped down, landing behind Garrus with no sound. It would be easy to snap his neck and leave him to rot, but he wouldn’t. Garrus had been nothing but hospitable and he wished no harm upon the turian.

“Amusing.” He said simply, humour clear in his voice and the taller alien tensed. In a heartbeat, he turned around and he could hear his breath hitched.

“Spirits. Krios.” Garrus gasped in disbelief. “I thought you… nevermind that. What are you doing here?”

“To stop you from pursuing me.” Thane answered the question literally although he understood that it wasn’t what he wanted to know.

“No, I mean… did you kill all those guys?” He asked curiously while removing his blue helmet.

“Yes. Although I’m afraid that I’m not doing it solely to forge a hallucinatory justice in Omega.” Thane said with his arms around his back. “It is an honourable principle that you are trying to achieve. However, I will not be able to join your cause.”

“Why then?”

“I am under no obligation to disclose the objective of my action.” The drell remarked coldly. “This being said, know that I will not intentionally attempt to get in your way.”

“Like hell you’re walking away now, Krios. You suddenly disappeared for one full month, came back giving me absolutely no explanation why you killed those men and now you want out!” He raised his voice. “I deserve an answer.”

“What makes you so keen to learn the truth?”

“Because I owe Shepard this much, dammit. She’d kick me if I let you walk into hell.”

The drell nodded in comprehension at his argument. As far as he was concerned, Garrus had taken Shepard’s death poorly, considering how close the two had been. It was a given that he would try to honour her wish. “I will respond to your question only if you’d indulge mine.”

“Let’s hear it.” Garrus said impatiently.

“How did you manage to track me down? While I may have not been as thorough as I normally am, I doubt I left significant hints regarding my whereabouts.”

“Former C-sec, remember?” The turian reminded him. “And to refresh your memory, I was the leader of the investigation team.” At that, Thane bobbed his head once more. “Twelve ‘accidents’ in a row.” He continued, doing an airquote. “That oughtta be a little suspicious. I know Omega is a dangerous place, but people are more likely to die from a gunshot wound than falling off a building.”

Noticing that he failed to consider such fact, he tugged the corner of his lips slightly. He definitely didn’t get the job through connection alone.

“Here no one bothers to hire mercenary or assassin. They’d rather sort things out themselves. I’ve also done some background checks on those victims prior to targeting them and found one pattern.” Garrus said. “They’ve all been involved in some drell slavery transaction. So the one behind these murders would be someone with a personal vendetta towards this particular crime. And they’re doing it without any contracts, without any credits being dangled in their face. Just the man I’m looking for.” He smirked.

“Tracing you of course, was much harder. You didn’t leave much for me to work with.” The turian booted his omnitool up. “You’ve done well, erasing evidence of any tampering in their intercoms. But remember Tezo? Your first victim, I believe.”

His eyes went wide at the realisation. He had been sloppy. “The translator.”

“Precisely.” He nodded firmly. “Drell translation software. I figure that drells wouldn’t roam in Omega given their reputation within others. So the only place you’d be is somewhere quiet. Well, guess what? This is the only quiet you’ll ever get in Omega.”

“Impressive, Officer.” Thane chuckled raspily, inclining his head and pausing for a long while with Garrus’s eyes on him. “I am hunting for the group that took my wife away from me.”

“You want to destroy the slaver ring as a revenge.” He assumed.

“Yes.” The drell retorted simply. “But having no connections mean that I cannot get reliable information that would lead me to them.”

Garrus smirked, mandibles flaring in humour which made Thane raised one of his eye ridges. He threw a datapad and Thane quickly skimmed through it, not realising that his mouth was hanging open.

It was the exact location of the group he was looking for. He looked up to face the turian. “How did you find this?”

“Connections.” He said smugly. “Shepard asked me to look into it and I did what she wanted. Besides, knowing that the one who murdered those men seem to hate the concept of drell slavery, I know this’ll be useful to reel ‘em in.”

He gripped the datapad tightly before passing it back to him. “And I don’t suppose you would hand out this information for free?”

“Oh, yes I am, Krios.” He pushed the object back to his arm. “Consider it a favour from a friend. Besides, if I say that you have to join me in my Omega clean up squad, I’m pretty sure you’ll refuse. I don’t want an “accident” to happen to me, you know.”

Thane pursed his lips at the mention of ‘friend’. Had he really consider him as one? They haven’t really conversed much yet he was willing to do it for him. “Thank you, Garrus.” He smiled, rewarded with the same humble gesture from the turian.

“Wait, you… you’re not planning to go there alone are you?”

Thane moved back a few steps. “Yes, I am.”

“That’s suicide, Thane.” He snarled, losing the composure that he had seconds ago.

“The last reason I have to live had been taken away from me.” He muttered as he walked further back. “Thank you, Garrus. But this would be a good end to a life.” The drell nodded, jumping up to the walkway before Garrus could reach him.

“Goddamit, Thane! Shepard wouldn’t want this for you!!” He screamed, trying to get him to see reason, but to no avail. “Thane!!”

The addressed male paid no attention to the turian’s words as he once more stepped into the shadow and disappeared.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I need to get a little break! Getting the feel for everyone's attitudes is kinda difficult after a while. Now I feel like everyone's kinda OOC ;_;
> 
> But anyway, thanks a lot for your ongoing support! For the new readers, I hope you're enjoying this so far. For the old, thanks for sticking with this story and for your kind, encouraging words as well!

**Jane Shepard**

A long one month it had been. All this time they have stayed in a tiny cramped apartment that was designed for one person. Shepard had to wear ridiculous one pieces and caked some make up whenever she walked out to prevent anyone from spotting her. Both Feron and Shepard had been out gathering information with futility.

She was getting giddy. Why was it so damn hard to find useful information? Well, she had no connection whatsoever and Feron had been kicked off the Broker’s terminal, which made their job even harder.

Shepard sighed as she threw herself on the ravaged sofa in the small living room. “Will we ever find Thane? He’s so slippery. We haven’t even heard anything about Garrus.” Rolling her eyes, she felt a presence next to her. “Hey.” She grinned at the sight of Kolyat sitting next to her.

“Welcome home, Shepard.” He gave her a smile and nuzzled her shoulder.

Feron gave the two a look before he set his coat on the armrest. “I got records of an odd occurrence.” He said. “Someone’s been doing a little house cleaning.” He said, throwing a datapad on Shepard’s direction which was caught easily.

She eyed the device with interest although it quickly faded when she didn’t understand what she was reading. “What’s so special about these murders?”

“Twelve bodies in a span of thirty days.” Feron muttered, circling the human and stood behind her. “All of them own a drell.”

Her eyes widened and she turned her head to look at the one talking to her. “It’s him.”

“I can’t be sure but it’s the only lead we’ve got. Until now we don’t even know if he’s still in Omega. These clues are valuable.”

Kolyat looked at Shepard, black eyes shining with curiosity as his hands found their way to Shepard’s hand. The human only smiled. She wasn’t sure why he had been very touchy feely lately but perhaps he was still seeking comfort. Although he had significantly calmed down from when she found him a month ago, harsh treatment like the one he experienced wouldn’t be forgotten easily. “Who exactly are you two looking for?”

“A drell assassin.” Feron answered simply.

The teal-scaled male only nodded with idle interest, missing the sad look Shepard gave him. She couldn't bear keeping such vital information away from him and she wasn't sure how Feron managed it. “Kolyat, go clean yourself.” She said after a stretched silence, motioning for the bathroom and he complied immediately.

Once the bathroom door was closed, the other drell grabbed a fruit from the fridge and tossed one to Shepard.

“We need to talk about him, Feron.” She started, rolling her thumb on the skin of the fruit.

“Yes. Yes we do.” He had a small smirk on his face that made her raise one of her eyebrows. “He likes you.”

“Uh…” Shepard trailed off, wondering if he was pulling her leg or telling the truth. “Yeah, right. No way.” She replied shortly.

“You can’t catch his subharmonic. But I can. He always gives me a warning trill whenever I’m around you.” The drell said while munching the food on his hand.

She'd been told that she was terrible at catching hints, treating flirtatious remarks as a part of friendly banters but she never thought she was _that_ bad. She misinterpreted Kolyat's display of intimacy, thinking that all those touches were merely for reassurance but obviously she had been insensitive and gave him a false hope.

Shepard groaned loudly at the revelation, feeling a little bad for leading him on. It would really get troublesome later on if she let it go on. But would it be wise considering what he had gone through? She didn’t want to push him away and she had no idea how he’d handle a rejection.

Feron chuckled humorously at her desperation and for the first time in a month she wanted to punch him in the face. But instead she slapped her hands on her face. “Not a xeno, are we?”

“Feron, you should know that my sexual history mostly comprise of me getting bedded by turians.” Shepard rolled her eyes while keeping her hands on her forehead. Came another soft laughter from the drell. “Although there’s this one time I almost bed a drell.”

At that, the man choked on his fruit. He eyed Shepard sceptically, unsure if she was telling the truth or not. The commander smirked at him. His eyes then threatened to pop out of their socket. “No way.”

The female shrugged although she could feel her face turning red at the memory of her giving Thane a blowjob. How she would love to see him once again. Yes, she might feel comfortable talking with Feron now, comfortable enough to not hold a handgun whenever she slept but she didn’t want to disclose her sexual acts.

“But anyway, going back to my original point.” She cleared her throat while trying to calm herself down. “When are we going to tell Kolyat about Thane?”

“We won’t until we find him.” He said warily and Shepard immediately understood.

She dropped her gaze to the half-eaten fruit in her hand. Of course they had to wait. As much as she hated herself for considering this fact, she wasn't sure how he had been coping or if he was even still _alive_. From the pace the investigation had been going, there was a big chance that they wouldn't be able to find him in time.

Shepard wasn't an idiot. She knew that Thane wouldn't let her death stop him from the freedom to hunt those killers. The discovery that Feron presented just a few minutes ago increased her certainty that he had been looking for the particular slaver group that killed his wife. And as far as she knew, the group had wide enough connection they were able to stay hidden even being the most known for drell transaction. They were powerful, and going up alone against them was suicide.

She couldn't contain her frustration anymore. She had to find Thane. She sensed that something was amiss when she asked Thane what he wanted to do after he exacted his revenge. He did not plan to survive at all. He wanted to die fighting.

"Shepard, where are you going?" Feron looked at her in confusion when she stood up and grabbed her oversized hoodie. Wearing the article, she pulled the considerably large hood to cover herself. Her hair was much longer than she was comfortable with and it was dyed black for disguise.

"Following the lead you gave me." She said. "Knowing Thane, he'd probably hide in a quiet place. Do you know if an abandoned site exists in Omega?" She knew that she was throwing wild guesses, but her gut feeling told her to go with it.

"We can go to the old market. It has been long unused." The drell answered swiftly while putting on his leather coat.

"Let's take Kolyat with us." Her voice was firm and commanding. Feron hesitated but at the glare he received, he quickly shut his mouth. "I don't want to keep him in the dark. He's coming."

"Unwise, Shepard." He said anyway. "He is not ready."

"Fuck that, Feron!" She raised her voice. "Thane is slipping away as we talk. He's going to die without knowing that his son is still alive!" As if on cue, Kolyat opened the bathroom door in time to hear Shepard screaming the last sentence at the other drell. He frowned at the sight but didn't say a thing. The female looked at him and sighed. "Kolyat, get dressed. We're going."

Feron shook his head in objection just to be ignored. Kolyat immediately put on his leather and followed Shepard outside the apartment, him following shortly behind.

Shepard stuffed her hand in her pocket, another pulling her hoodie down as they made their way to the appointed place. They advanced in utter silence until Kolyat broke the quiet. "Where are we going?"

The human glanced at Feron who gave her a disagreeing look, knowing what she was about to say. "Kolyat, I need to tell you something." She stopped at her track once they entered the abandoned marketplace and turned around to face him.

"You seem serious, Shepard. What is it?" He asked while looking a little agitated.

"Do you recognise the name Thane?"

"An assassin, correct? Is he the one we're looking for? I thought he died a few years ago." The drell said in confusion and Shepard sighed.

"Do you know his full name, Kolyat?" She took his hand in hers, eyes looking straight into his.

The addressed male fidgeted on the ground, unsure why she was so serious all of a sudden. "Am I supposed to?"

"Thane Krios." The human whispered and she could feel his entire body tensing at the sentence. "He's your dad, Kolyat."

His scales immediately turned pale, hand trembling inside Shepard's. His lips moved but no sound was produced, eyes shaking wildly as if going into solipsism. Noticing how his arm went limp, the human tightened her grip and looked at him reassuringly. "No." He whispered. "You're lying!" Kolyat ripped his hand away.

"Kolyat, please." She said, resting her hand on his shoulder only to have him flinching away from the contact. "You have to trust me. Your father is alive and he thinks that you're dead. He's going to give his life away to be reunited again with your mother and _you_."

"It's his fault that mother died!" He screamed. "Some assassin he is if he can't even protect her! Why should I care now that he's going to die?!"

Shepard gripped the boy's shoulders tightly and shook him furiously before giving him a look that was devoid of all emotion. All but fury. "You will _never_ say that again." She whispered, voice fuelled with hostility. "Your father spent his whole life blaming himself for not being able to protect those he loved. And if he gives his life up now, the same guilt would surface again knowing that he can't do anything for you, can't apologise for the life he took from you. He'll live his life in utter misery even when he's supposed to be at peace. Do you want that for your father, Kolyat?"

The drell's body was trembling in mixed emotion, the hurt was clear in his eyes but so was the anger.

Shepard immediately realised that she had raised her voice and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Will you promise me you'll him a chance to atone once we find him?"

He tried to resist the tears pooling in his black orbs. "I," He choked back a snifle. "I can't promise that, Shepard. I can't."

She nodded in understanding, rubbing his shoulder soothingly. "I know how hard it would be for you, Kolyat. But I want you two to understand that you were never alone to begin with." She smiled then took the drell's hands in hers. "Promise me you'll at least try. For me. Please?"

Kolyat nodded gingerly, shoulders finally slumping down in defeat. "For you, Shepard. I promise I'll try." He croaked.

"Shepard!" Feron exclaimed from the walkway, taking their attention. "You might want to see what I found." He said, jumping down to their level and booting up his omnitool. "Thane is bound to notice the commotion if he's really here. But it seems like he's not. I checked the security camera up there and I'm lucky enough that it's still working after all this time."

Even when his face was hidden, Shepard could tell the signature blue and silver armour that belonged solely to Garrus Vakarian. He was walking warily with an assault rifle on hand, head turning left and right to scan the area. He then disappeared on the left side of the camera.

She glanced at Feron. "Did you find another one from different angle?"

"No. All are off except for this. The data is also automatically set to erase every 1 week cycle."

She was about to say something but paused when a shadow dropped from the walkway and moved forward also to disappear on the left side. Grace and agility. It was unmistakably Thane. She assumed the worst when nothing happened but quickly erased the thought. Thane wouldn't bring Garrus any harm, she was sure.

Even when Feron cranked the volume up to the highest possible setting, they could barely make out what they were saying. But when Garrus started screaming, her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

_“Goddamit, Thane! Shepard wouldn’t want this for you!! Thane!!”_

There was only one possible assumption to that last sentence. Garrus had provided Thane with the information he needed now he was off to take them out by himself.

"We need to go after them." She whispered and turned back to run off but Feron grabbed her hand.

"Shepard, we have no idea where he's heading."

"Then we find Garrus." Shepard said firmly, facing Feron once more. "Did he ever appear in the camera again?"

The drell glanced at the video for a while but failed to see or hear anything else then he nodded. "He never turned back." He looked at Shepard. "He's going after Krios."

"Then it means that not only Thane who's in danger, but Garrus too. We need to move quick."

Before Feron could shut down his omnitool, Kolyat muttered. "Shepard, I found the address." And the two immediately snapped their heads to face the boy with disbelief in their faces. "Rewind about five seconds." He said and pointed at the screen when the other drell did.

"Shit." The older drell cursed himself for missing the scene. Thane had jumped back to the walkway, waving the datapad on his hand so closely to the camera by pure accident. Feron quickly hit the pause button. "We've got the address."

All three of them sped up, Shepard and Kolyat trying to keep up with Feron's pace. He knew his way around Omega, an important skill as an infiltrator. As they ran, Shepard could somehow hear him muttering directions. He was remembering out loud the turns he took from the abandoned marketplace to their destination.

It was a long exercise. A good twenty minutes they spent following the ridiculously agile drell who seemed to have bottomless stamina. Kolyat was having serious problem keeping up with the speed as he panted loudly and almost tripped over his foot.

"Feron, slow down." She said and the drell immediately went into a jog. "Kolyat doesn't seem like he's feeling so hot."

"I'll just slow you down." He managed to respond inbetween his heavy breaths. "I can't fight," A loud pant. "I cant sneak," Another pant. "No stamina."

"It's not safe here. I can't possibly send you back now." She said, putting one arm around his neck as she tried to prop him up.

"Shepard. You're not going to like this." Feron disturbed her train of thought with his raspy voice. He pointed at the sight waiting for them from behind stacked crates and Shepard could feel her heart lurching at the sight. Her stomach twisted wildly as she unconsciously let go of Kolyat and charged forward with all the strength she had left.

Garrus was lying motionless in front of them.

**Thane Krios**

_'He's following me.'_ Thane thought to himself as he glanced sideways and downward to see Garrus running forward with his heavy footsteps that echoed along the abandoned path. His head occasionally turned around as he screamed out his name.

He broke the view and jumped over from one wooden plan to the other with such fashion that he didn't make a single noise. His eyes constantly scanned through the darkness to make sure it was free of obstruction while sensitive ears absorbed the noises Garrus made to determine their distance.

Thane was obviously getting the lead through his practiced agility but the way the shadow broke ahead of him made him stop, letting the turian ran ahead of him before he advanced once more to avoid getting spotted. It kept going and he was getting increasingly worried that he wouldn't be able to reach the base before he did.

The drell was aware that it would be dangerous to charge alone into the slavers' hideout alone. Stealth alone would be risky and it didn't seem like the former C-sec officer knew what he was getting himself into. If the race continued, he was putting not only his life in danger, but Garrus's as well.

With that in mind, Thane jumped from the left walkway to the right by stepping on some lighting fixtures. The creaking noise was enough to get the turian's attention and made his head snap back. It was the only distraction he needed as he landed on the ground behind him and prepared to hit him on the back of his head. For the first time, he didn't wish to break any bones or endanger a life in a fight. He merely wanted to concuss him temporarily and taking away his consciousness for a few hours.

But it didn't go as planned as Garrus's hand swiped swiftly to the side, forcing him to leap backwards to avoid direct contact to his waist. Thane sidestepped as quickly as he could to outmanoeuvre the larger alien but found himself unable to get close due to his arm length. The turian knew that the drell wasn't there for a chatter but for a fight.

"You're being unreasonable!" Garrus raised his voice as he jumped forward to land a punch on his stomach, but the attempt was easily evaded by charging low, almost landing a good hit on the jaw. The armoured man deflected his hand hastily and left himself wide open as Thane unleashed his biotic throw that connected with his gut, flinging him to the wooden barrels on the side.

"Do not pursue me." He said coldly.

"Or else what? You're going to kill me?" Came his low voice.

"This is my fight." Thane replied curtly. "Do not interfere. You are throwing your life away." He resumed his battle stance when his opponent stood up, bringing dust and shattered wooden planks scattered on the floor.

"Shepard died so you could live! Don't waste the life she gave you, Krios."

Thane flinched at the familiar name but face remained stoic. "Do not bring her name into the argument." He let out a warning trill. "Even if she lives, there is no changing the finality that I planned to end my life after I exact my vengeance. I am not dishonouring anyone."

"That's bullsh—"

"I lost my wife. My son." He continued. "Shepard." With his hands balled into a tight fist, he found himself trembling in sadness, in anger. "They all died but I continue my empty, worthless existence. I would rather my soul depart than endangering another." He rumbled deep as he locked his eyes onto the turian's. "And I do not want you to die because of me either."

At that, Garrus's shoulders tensed and he looked away. Thane inhaled, taking the chance to lunge forward and landed three successive hits—one on his armoured chest to temporarily stun him, an uppercut to his jaw and the last to his face that was tilted up.

The man became disoriented, leaving Thane with enough time to move behind him and whispered a soft apology before giving him one last blow to the back of his head that made him lose consciousness.

Thane observed the motionless body to ensure that it wasn't just an act. Then he jumped back to the walkway and advanced to his destination. The path looked empty that he was sure that no hostiles would find him.

It took him a while but he finally found their hideout. It was located in a small corner that looked distinctly Omega. Even though most seemed like they were civilians, he remained hidden for safety precaution. He finally reached the apartment complex that was written on the datapad. He jumped in from the opening on the roof, being careful for any surveillance cameras.

He took out four guards at once, leaving the last one quivering in fear. He sauntered forward and grabbed the batarian by the head, throwing him onto the wall. He stared at him with eyes devoid of any emotion. Taking one of his intercoms, he put it on his ear slowly.

“Where is your boss?”

It didn’t take long for him to spill the beans as he was already frozen in fear upon what he witnessed. Thane easily got the information he needed and moved up to the air vent once more to find the mentioned room. That was when he heard a commotion breaking on the lower level.

Gunshots and screams rang everywhere. He wasn’t sure what caused it but it didn’t stop him from advancing. If anything, he was thankful for the distraction that thinned out the enemies. Whoever came in must’ve been extremely troublesome if a whole lot of fully armed batarians and turians started running down for reinforcement. He wished that the guest wouldn’t die too quickly.

Thane kept moving until he reached the room he was looking for. He could hear a rough voice screaming out orders for the others and he peered from the metal railing that covered the vent. A turian. He was letting out a trainwreck of subharmonic that signified panic and frustration. There were an asari and another turian on guard, complete with their assault rifles.

Thane took his small pocket knife and threw it on the other side of the vent until it made loud clanking noise that took their attention. The bodyguards pointed their guns, scanning the area tentatively at the leader’s order. The ruckus was growing outside and he had to act quick. The intruder must’ve been there for them as well. He wasn’t sure what exactly they needed but no one was allowed to take his target.

He dropped down from the vent silently. He placed his hands on either side of the turian’s face before jerking it so violently he could hear the familiar snaps of bones and gurgle of blood. Before he fell to the ground, Thane had used his other knife to plunge it deep into the asari’s heart.

The leader gasped in surprise at the noise behind him and he turned his head a second too late. His hands were locked firmly on his back by a powerful vice grip and the other held a gun on his head.

“W-what do you want?!” He flailed uselessly only to stop when the weapon was pressed tighter against him.

“Revenge.” Thane whispered calmly although blood was boiling with anger. He wasn’t sure if he had a translator installed but when he didn’t breathe a word, he continued. “You took my wife.”

“I-I’m sorry—please!” He screamed when one of his hands was twisted by the drell.

“Do you think what you did can be erased by an apology? Your life alone wouldn’t do her justice.” He snarled, no longer able to contain his fury.

“I’ll give you anything you want, please!” He cried out only to have his other hand snapped, rewarding Thane with a loud yell of pain. “Y-you want the other drells, I’ll give them to you!”

“I don’t want the _other_ drells,” He snarled next to his ears, making him squirm further despite the futility. Of course at one point he had fought for his species but he stopped after Irikah was taken away from him. He dwelled in the notion of vengeance more than freedom. “I want justice.” Thane gripped the handle of his submachine gun and pummelled the turian with the barrel.

“I…” He spat blood. “I have snipers outside this building! Y-you won’t be able to survive!”

“Nor was I planning to.” He growled lethally, not wanting to show any sign of fear although none was present inside him. Thane pointed the gun at his head once more and pulled the trigger. It rang loudly, sound bouncing off the eerily quiet room. All he could hear next was the turian’s body hitting the ground and the vague sound of gunshots outside the door.

The guests were getting much closer. He wasn’t certain what they wanted but he didn’t want to stay to find out. If they fought through the guards, they must’ve been there to settle some score with the dead man too. He did them a favour.

Thane walked forward and faced the window. He could see the glints of metal under the artificial lighting of Omega. The light on the desk flickered until it came to a full stop. He could hear the wind blowing outside as well as the increasingly loud massacre on the other side of the door. It then hit him that it could be the guards that came out as the victors.

But it didn’t matter.

The revenge left him not with the satisfaction he expected, but a growing sense of emptiness. There was no further reason for him to remain on the galaxy. He clasped his hand together in a silent prayer.

“Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths, I ask forgiveness. Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand. Kalahira, wash the sins from this one,”

The door was busted open in the middle of his hushed whisper but he did not stop. “and set him on the distant shore of the infinite spirit. Kalahira, this one’s heart is pure, but beset by wickedness and contention.”

He thought of Shepard as he offered the prayer. If their heavens were the same, perhaps he would be able to meet her again. He would introduce her to Irikah and Kolyat. They would be together this time. Nothing would rip them apart. He would be able to see their beautiful smiles as they sit near the shore with nothing but eternity awaiting them.

With louder voice, he continued. “Guide this one to where the traveller never tires, the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve—“

“Thane!” A familiar voice echoed in his ears and he stopped.

“Shepard…” He whispered inaudibly. No, it couldn’t be. He closed his eyes once more, tightening his hands as the footsteps became louder behind him. “Guide this one, Kalahira—“

“Thane Krios!” A hand was pressed on his shoulder and spun him forcibly he found himself losing his balance.

His mouth was agape when he saw the sight in front of him. The beautiful brown gems as eyes that he loved so much, the scar that adorned her cheek and her lips—the scar that he had traced with his own lips. The chapped lips that had kissed him back, that he had experienced all over his body and cherished. Voice strong, commanding yet gentle at the same time.

“Shepard…” He mouthed.

“You’re not dying on me.” She whispered firmly. “I’m here, Thane.”

“No.” He shook his head, pushing her away roughly. “You are not her.” The woman however, didn’t relent. He stepped forward when took one back and he found himself backed on a corner. “You are not Shepard.”

He could see her eyes shaking at the rejection but she grabbed him by the cloak abruptly and smashed their lips together. Thane found himself petrified as that roughness ravaged his mouth. She tasted like a traditional drell tea mixed with honey. A comforting scent, a sensation that reminded him of home. A taste that was distinctly Shepard.

“Thane…” She whispered breathily, hands creeping on his cheeks to cup them with her calloused hands. “I’m here.”

He could not find a single coherent sentence as he swallowed thickly. He could feel his heart hammering inside his chest and blood flowed faster than ever. Hope filled his soulless body and he found himself believing. It was as if Arashu Herself denied himself from the shore once more, and her too, somehow.

Thane lifted his right hand gradually and grasped the human’s wrist softly, feeling her organic form before he responded to her raspily.

“And so am I.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Alienware broke twice in one week span. Thank God for OneDrive and Word Online.
> 
> 100+ kudos and 10 bookmarks and so many comments! This is unbelievable! I never dared to even dream that this fanfic would get so much attention. Initially, I wanted it to be short and sweet but I got really carried away. This is no fluff anymore! But I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it. All your supports in any form is invaluable and will definitely encourage me to write more!

** Jane Shepard **

Shepard involuntarily held her breath as she grabbed the unmoving turian and turned him around. For the first time she didn’t complain about his weight. She exhaled in relief when she pressed her fingers on his neck and felt the pulse. He was alive and there was no sign of major injuries. Whoever did it only wanted him to be unconscious, not dead.

“Garrus!” She shook him violently, his armour clattering loudly against the ground. Feron grabbed the abandoned assault rifle among the destroyed crates and placed it beside the turian. “Garrus!”

“Hnn…” He stirred, groaning softly. Slowly, he brought his hand up to clutch his throbbing head and eyes snapped open. The large man came to a half-seating position before coming into a complete halt. “Hm. Nice.” His mandibles fluttered in humour when he saw the unmistakable Jane Shepard in front of him. He quickly lied back down on the ground and closed his eyes.

“Oi!” She tapped his cheek a couple of times with her palm to no avail. Shepard clicked her tongue in frustration and slapped him hard on the cheek.

That proved to be effective as Garrus sat back up again. “Weird. Jane told me a good slapping would wake me up from dreams.”

“You’re giving me your other cheek?” She grinned, patting him on the back. Then she forced her hand on Garrus’s talons in a handshake attempt. “Commander Jane Shepard. Alliance Navy. You are?” She smirked mischievously.

The turian squinted his eyes in a human-like fashion as he stared at the woman as if he just saw a ghost. “The hell? Aren’t you supposed to be _dead_?”

She shrugged. “I got better.”

He gave him a soft laughter although it sounded uncharacteristically nervous. The turian scratched the back of his head and stood up, followed immediately by Shepard. “You owe me an explanation.”

“That I do.” She said but soon realised that they were stalling. “But later. Thane. I need to get Thane now.”

“Bastard knocked me out.” Garrus muttered and soon made an eye contact with Feron, then to Kolyat. “You start collecting drells now?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you as we run to get Thane.”

The turian smirked as he grabbed his assault rifle that Feron picked up. “Right behind you, Shepard.” It was rewarded with a small chuckle as they quickly made their way forward, half-running.

“Doggy style? Now I know your favourite position.” Her laughter rang loud enough to cover the four pair of footsteps.

“Is that what you humans call it? Doggy style? Spirits, you’re a weird bunch! Too bad, but I prefer missionary.” His mandibles flickered in humour and he let out a small rumble that Shepard didn’t realise she missed so much.

“Then you might want to start saying ‘right in front of you, Shepard’!”

“And it only took you one heavy cybernetic implant procedure and one death to invite me to your bed! I never thought you were a xeno.” The tall male teased back, making Shepard laugh even more.

"Amen to that, brother."

“Sorry, but can you two _please_ sort this out later?” Feron said, obviously disturbed by the sexual nature of the conversation unravelling before him.

Garrus glanced back at the teal-scaled drell and moved next to Shepard, leaning into her ear and whispered. “The hell is up with that drell? He’s been giving me a murderous subharmonic.”

“This…” She pursed her lips, unsure of how to start. Then she decided that an introduction should be in order if they were going to start shooting common enemies together. “Uh, this one…” She pointed at the shorter drell. “…is Feron. He saved me from certain death.” Shepard decided to stop at that. Any further information could wait until they finished their rescue mission.

“Thanks for bailing her ass out, Feron. I take my eyes off her for one second and she decided to get the Normandy blown up to smithereens. I bet it was the Broker’s payback.” He chuckled, sarcasm was clear in his voice as she glanced at Shepard. “Yeah, right.”

“It _was_ the Shadow Broker.” Feron said simply.

“What?” Garrus turned his head once more, looking at the colourful drell in surprise while keeping up their half-run. Shepard rolled her eyes. At least he didn’t mention that he was an assassin. “Well.” The turian started again awkwardly. “At least you’re not one of them.”

“I was.”

Uh-oh. Shepard bit the insides of her cheeks. “Right, uh.” Garrus coughed. “At least you weren’t ordered to assassinate Jane.”

“I… was.”

The conversation was one trainwreck after the other. Shepard had to resist a facepalm. Garrus fell silent for a good one minute before his eyes set on the human next to him once more. “Okay. You have a lot to explain, young lady.”

“Might have more.” She said, trying to suppress a laughter from cracking. “Garrus, meet Kolyat Krios.”

“Bloody hell! I’m _never_ leaving you again! Next time I look away you'll make the reapers extinct." He chuckled in amusement at what he missed in the past few months.

"So what happened?" Shepard looked at him, eyes interrogative.

"Tried to chase Krios down and the next thing I realise, we were locked in a hand-to-hand. He's brutal." Garrus muttered. "If he tried to kill me I'd be dead now, I'm pretty sure."

"You could say you've got reach and he's got flexibi—"

"No." The turian glared at her although light-heartedly and she laughed. Shepard almost forgot what a joy Garrus was to talk to, he was like a breath of fresh air in vacuum.

A few minutes later, they could see a continuation of omega. It wasn't too big but still seemed dirty and unkempt though so far away from the main area that she couldn't help but think it would be a perfect hiding space. Well, they certainly chose their location well.

Everyone was nice enough to mind their own businesses as they walked slowly towards their destination. Shepard carefully opened the front door to see a dimly-lit area and heard a cracking noise near her head. A gun.

Well, definitely not off to a good start.

The lights then turned on in an instant as the door closed behind them, revealing three fully armed turians and an eerily empty room. She could hear the hostile clicks of their mandibles.

"Here for delivery." Garrus started, lowering his weapon and motioned at the two drells behind him. Kolyat's eyes widened in terror at the statement and so did Feron's. It must be the fact that he was turian that made him much more believable.

The guards glared at him before nodding at each other.

"What?!" The taller drell complained loudly as two of the guards nodded and moved behind them. However, before a fight could break, Garrus shot the one in front of them without a second thought and Shepard the others who just let their guard down consecutively.

As if on cue, the lift not far from them opened and Shepard jumped to the nearest corner, not forgetting to take Kolyat with her. Garrus instantly followed her lead by moving towards a shielded corner. Feron used his tactical cloak and disappeared from sight in a shimmer

"Alright, ready for this, Garrus?" She grinned at the man a few metres away from her and he returned the gesture while reloading his sniper rifle.

Shepard activated her incendiary ammo, making her weapon light up with vivid red that was warm to touch. While the enemies tried to scan the area, she peered from the corner and unleashed her shockwave that toppled those who were dumb enough to huddle together.

Screams started to echo in the empty room, followed with reckless gunshots. Before those who fell could stand up, she could hear a ticking noise that was replaced with a loud explosion and bright orange light. She could see Feron on the lightning fixture above, still fully cloaked. There were still five more around the room and Shepard took a batarian out with her shotgun. As if boasting, Garrus laid a perfect headshot on the turian not too far away from the dead man.

Feron jumped down and backstabbed another opponent before the blue turian overloaded the weapon of someone who was taking an aim at him. Without so much as a word, he faded away again. Once everyone was taken out, they took the stairs and fought their way upstairs, not forgetting to check every room.

Reinforcement came flooding in quickly at the commotion and they found themselves being forced to cover each other. Shepard and Garrus had no problem doing it but Feron realised that it wasn't something that could be built in a day. So he decided to play it safe and remained hidden, coming out only to take out those who came too close with the others.

However Shepard found that having to cover someone who couldn't fight was taxing. Their efficiency drastically decreased since they also had to watch out for Kolyat.

Kolyat understood the fact that he was nothing but a baggage to the rest of the party. Shepard had to continuously watch his ass before anyone could shoot him. He had no barrier, no biotic skill, zero training in guns and hand-to-hand.

"Got that one!" Garrus grinned after making a neat hole through the enemy engineer's head. Shepard saw Kolyat charging out of cover recklessly and she screamed out his name while keeping the pressure on the enemies.

Feron appeared behind the man who was taking an aim on Kolyat and cut his neck open, blood spraying everywhere and making the younger drell flinch. He slid behind a cover where a dead body was and forcibly removed the man's omnitool. Before Shepard could say anything, he typed in some bypass commands on the device and let it lock around his arm.

"The hell is that guy doing?!" The human growled, unleashing a heavy throw on one of the foes shooting at her blindly.

"More of them, Shepard!" Garrus warned as he let out a concussive round.

"Fuck!" She cursed but when she finished reloading and was about to resume the massacre, she heard a rapid shooting noise. When she peeked from behind her cover, a sentry drone was floating, targetting everyone on sight. With narrowed eyes, she turned her head to see Kolyat sitting behind a toppled table, typing commands on the stolen omnitool.

"Eidetic memory." Feron jumped down behind her, making her squeal in surprise. He smirked at the too-girly noise she made. "He must've seen someone doing it before. Summoning a drone isn't difficult if you know the process." Then as if jinxed, the drone was destroyed. "Summoning a powerful one, however, takes more than memory."

The trio quickly finished off what enemies were left and left before more could crowd them again. Kolyat kept a combat drone near them handy as they ran with the group. Shepard grinned and tapped the boy on the shoulder.

"So you made yourself useful. You're all right, Kol." She joked, replied with an audible soft trill and a chuckle from Feron.

"I believe he just made what you humans called 'dying whale noise'." Garrus cut in with an airquote, well his best attempt with a sniper rifle on his hands anyway.

"Watch out!" Feron raised his voice all of sudden when the ceiling fell apart with an impressive boom. Shepard jumped out of the way with her sharp reflexes and so did the drell. The stone structure shattered near them although they escaped unharmed.

"Garrus! Kolyat!" Shepard screamed, trying to see if both of them were alright. She couldn't see anything through the obstacle but she hoped both men made it in time.

"We're good, Shep!" Came a familiar voice that made the human took in a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Before she could reply however, Kolyat's drone buzzed and hummed as it stunned a visible enemy near the corner. "I've got visual but we'll hold on. Get into cover, kiddo! Shepard, go!"

"Shit!" The human cursed but turned around and left. There was no point arguing there when she had someone to rescue. She was sure that Garrus would be able to hold them off. He was made of tough stuff. Feron nodded in approval at her decision before he faded away in a shimmer.

"That's it, keep it up!" Garrus's voice was loud and clear amidst the gunshot and finally faded away when they ran up the stairs. They had their own problems to worry about.

The resistance was getting thinner, possibly due to the commotion on Garrus and Kolyat's part that she couldn't help but worry. It might get a little too much for them. She didn't want to risk anyone. With that in mind, she turned her head to face Feron who was still next to her.

She could hear a submissive sigh as a sign that he knew what she was going to do. "Yes, we'll draw enemy attention. This is what an infiltrator is _definitely_ made for. A frontal assault." He said dejectedly.

"That's right. You learn to adapt when you work with me." Shepard chuckled, following the drell's lead. He grabbed a grenade from somewhere underneath his cloak and opened the door in front of him open. When he heard footsteps, a _lot_ of footsteps, he threw it.

"What's a fight without an explosion." She grinned, reloading her Crusader.

After a good one month they spent together, occasionally sparring, they became somewhat used to each other's movements and was able to predict to some extent what their move was going to be. Shepard kept an eye on hints of shimmer when he uncloaked and gutted a mercenary and erected a barrier in front of him while his tactical cloak went through cooldown.

They went through the enemies methodically until there was nothing left but a large two leaves door. She put her shotgun close to her chest as she moved closer, Feron just slightly behind her, one hand thumbing the handgun underneath his cloak.

Suddenly they heard a gunshot. Shepard expected another fight when she stepped in but it didn't happen.

"—and set him on the distant shore of the infinite spirit. Kalahira, this one’s heart is pure, but beset by wickedness and contention.”

That voice.

It was like a breeze during spring when the scent of flowers was the sweetest. She felt her fingers relaxing immediately despite what slaughter just occurred a few seconds ago. His voice was raspy as she remembered it to be although at the same time he managed to sound so tantalisingly smooth.

On his feet was a turian, fresh blue blood flowing into the gaps of the floor, a complete contrast with the calming prayer he was doing. She was certain that he heard her coming into the room but it was as if he didn't care. He probably didn't, she flinched.

He really wanted to die there. If she was a hostile, it would be a perfect chance to kill the assassin, considering his back was completely exposed and hands clasped together for a prayer.

"Guide this one to where the traveller never tires, the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve—“

She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the thought of losing Thane.

"Thane!" She screamed out as she moved forward, half-running.

Then there was silence before he softly whispered her name with so much emotion. Thane never showed any significant tone in his voice or his expression on that matter. It was enough to send shiver down her spine. He sounded so confused, so hopeful yet so resigned.

His head dipped low for a moment but he shook it slowly. With a firmer voice, he continued. "Kalahira, guide this one—"

She didn't want him to finish the prayer because she knew that if she gave him that luxury, he would slip away in front of her. So she roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"You're not dying on me." She said, looking into those deep, vast eyes of his. He looked much more tired and worn than she remembered, like he aged ten years in a span of four months and it clenched her heart with indescribable ache. The eyebags that adorned his eyes suddenly seemed more prominent. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that she couldn't decipher his expression but all she wanted to do now was to make him believe it was really her. "I'm here, Thane."

Suddenly she could see how his eyes seemed to shine more than before. If light was clear, she was sure she would be able to see a reflection of herself as clear as a mirror. But the light quickly dissipated as he stammered.

"No." He shook his head in denial, firm hands grabbing her outstretched arms and looked away while pushing her away roughly. "You are not her. You are not Shepard." He said—chanted like it was a prayer for sanity.

But that didn't faze her in the least. The man she badly wanted to rescue was right in front of her and she wouldn't let him go down. Shepard wanted to save him in more than one way. She wanted to reach out to him and remind him of what potential life had if he would stop closing himself off everyone. She wanted to stop him from turning a blind eye to the beauty of the world that he had never had the chance to explore. And although she would never be able to replace his wife, she wanted to be there for him. To ease his suffering, to reunite him with his son and to see the return of a soul inside his body. She wanted to see him, all of him. All the rough edges and the imperfection of a man.

Shepard mourned for him. The world had been cruel and selfish enough to deem a whole species as lower than the others. They have ruined so many lives. The thought of so many drells were going through the same suffering as Thane broke her heart. Not many were so lucky to have the mental fortitude that he had.

Her mind sent command to the rest of her body. She moved forward to grab the ends of his collar and pushed her lips against his. Shepard had no eidetic memory but she didn't need it to remember the softness of his lips, the tenderness that certainly wasn't there. His lips were rough and dry. They trembled against her but she could feel him resigning. He didn't return the kiss, but he was not rejecting it.

"Thane..." She cupped his cheeks while looking into his eyes. "I'm here."

Now she could see the light returning into his eyes once more as he moved one of his hands and placed it on top of hers. A smile formed on his lips and he placed his forehead against her. "And so am I." He whispered softly and they fell silent as Thane captured her other hand and took it away from his face only to intertwine it together with his.

"Shepard, I thought you..." He hesitated. "The news..."

"The great Thane Krios losing his words? Never thought I'd see the day." She smiled in an attempt to lighten up the mood and it proved to be effective as a raspy chuckle escaped from his throat.

"I..." He started again but didn't finish his sentence.

"Yes, Thane?" Tightening her grip on his fingers, she encouraged him to continue.

"I have missed you." Thane said tentatively, lips moving in uncertainty. "I'm sorry for not protecting you. I should have—"

"Sssh." She placed a finger on his lips, grinning. "I'm indestructible."

"Thane." A voice became audible and Shepard tensed. She had completely forgotten Feron's presence. At the realisation, she broke their contact.

"Feron." The green drell noted with no hostility in his voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The other male must have heard something that she couldn't as he lifted both of his hands up as a gesture of submission. Shepard quickly stepped between both of them. "Feron rescued me from the planet I landed on. He helped me to track you down and we..." She hesitated, looking at him in utter silence. "…found your son."

Thane's eyes widened in surprise at the statement, and as if on cue the door was opened behind them. Garrus was limping, blood splattered all of him and Kolyat was dangling on his shoulder, unconscious.

"You found him." He said, voice full of mirth.

"What happened to—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Garrus replied. "Tough guy. He spawned at least twenty drones. Saved my life more than once. He just passed out on the way here. I think all the gore scared him."

Shepard chuckled lightly before turning her attention to Thane who was being eerily silent. His eyes were fixed on Kolyat but made no move to approach the boy. The human smiled, placing her hand on his back and gave him an encouraging push.

"My son..." He croaked with tremble all over his deep baritone. Garrus nodded at the drell approaching him as he observed the younger's facial attributes. Kolyat was a few centimetres taller than Thane and their overall appearance drastically differed, so was their attitudes. Whereas Thane hid behind a mask, Kolyat wore his heart on his sleeve.

"He's exhausted." Shepard tapped the drell on the shoulder. "We should get back and let him rest."

"Your son is impressive, Thane." Garrus's mandibles flickered. "Can't aim to save his life but he's a natural with tech."

"Thank you for saving him." The older man said with voice that wasn't short of gratitude and Shepard found herself smiling at the free display of emotion. It was obvious just how much his son meant for him and she just hoped that Kolyat would find it in him to forgive his father. "May I please...?" He looked at Garrus hesitantly and the turian nodded. He grabbed Kolyat's arm away from around his carapace so Thane could take him.

He let out a wide smile, the widest that Shepard had ever seen and it was enough to make her return the same gesture, tears started to swell in her eyes. She knew that it was a monumental moment for Thane, to get back the son who he thought was lost to him. She could only imagine the joy that must've burst inside him

Feron helped Kolyat up into a piggyback ride on his father's back and the smile never wavered from his face. "Thank you." He repeated, eyes full of sincerity and Shepard could've sworn she saw tears glistened in those enchanting eyes of his. "Thank you for giving him back to me."

Shepard landed a soft kiss just above his frill since she knew that one more word, she would start to sob right there. The euphoria on his face filled her with a warm feeling. For the first time, she was seeing his true face.

All of them walked out of the room with silence. They knew that Thane needed it. Apparently their enemies had the same thought as when they exited, there was no gunshot. Terrified civilians, yes. But no combat.

Feron looked at Shepard and shrugged. "You take me as a voyeur?"

She chuckled in amusement. He must've sniped all those snipers with some sort of sound suppressor from the room next to them. "Well, Thane did say that you're not a very good shoot."

"I'm hurt!"

"Sure you are." She rolled her eyes.

All of them soon arrived in Shepard's cramped apartment and the area became really crowded fast. There wasn't a lot of room for the to manoeuvre around. Garrus was sitting on the sofa with Feron, Kolyat on the bed, Thane sitting on the dining chair he dragged next to his son and Shepard standing near the two.

"Shepard, I have to thank you once more." He stood. "You have done so much for me."

"It's worth it." She smiled, leaning in to land a chaste kiss on his lips and she was rewarded with a sigh from Thane. The contact deepened as time ticked on and they found themselves wrapped in a tight embrace. Thane's muscular arms snaked around her waist and her hands stroking the ridges on his back.

Garrus and Feron tried their hardest to ignore the moans coming from the two next to them while maintaining poker face. It was impossible.

"Shepard, that's nice but can you _please_ stop."

The commander immediately snapped out of it and pulled away abruptly. Thane cleared his throat before he sat back down. "Uh. Sorry." She said.

"I'm here to hear your explanation, not to see you shoving your tongue down his throat."

And so Shepard started from when the Normandy exploded. Her armour and augmentation played important role for her survival. Then about the hallucination she experienced during the two months she spent strayed on the planet and how Feron had been so very stylish in his timely rescue.

"And Kolyat..." She started but found herself unable to continue for a while. She might not have drell's eidetic memory but the condition she found Kolyat on was terrifying and she couldn't bring herself to say it to Thane.

"Please, Shepard. I would like to hear it." He said heavily while still facing the boy.

"I found him near the bin, his scales were burnt terribly and I could see open wounds all over him. The disciplinary collar was also very tight. It was a miracle he could breathe. He..." She took a deep breath. "He said it went on for eight years. It wasn't that bad in the beginning but the last two years had been hell."

"Kalahira..." He dropped his sight and placed his chin on his clasped hands, taking a deep breath at the description. "I'm so sorry, Kolyat... If I had found you sooner..."

Shepard grasped his shoulders with her fingers comfortingly. "Thane, it's not your fault. I know you would've given anything to get him back if you knew he was alive."

"I should have searched more thoroughly. I am a failure as a father." He whispered, not daring to look at the female. "First it was Irikah, now I have let him down too. I'm not certain if I have any rights to claim him as my son anymore. Perhaps it would be best if you tell him that I have returned to the shore."

"Don't say that!" She retorted defensively. "We all make mistakes. But now you have a second chance. I want you to atone for what you did, Thane. I want you to have a shot at having a life again. Don't you think you've suffered enough?"

That appeared to be enough as Thane's breath started to hitch. "Thank you," He said again. "Thank you, Shepard."

She said nothing but she stepped forward to take him in a deep hug. She could feel tears seeping through the fabric of her clothing and Thane's shaky hands desperately clinging onto her back. Kissing his forehead softly, she continued running her hand soothingly along his back.

Such extreme display of emotion clenched her chest in no way she ever thought possible. He trusted her enough to let his impregnable self-control and defences down and she couldn't help but feel proud of what she had done. She helped to make a life better and was there to see it.

Moments passed and when they withdrew, they noticed that Garrus and Feron had left. They must've deemed that they needed privacy now more than ever and she was grateful for it.

Shepard dragged another chair next to Thane and laid her head on his shoulder while he ran through her hair, eyes never leaving Kolyat's vulnerable body. She wasn't sure when she passed out but the last thing she felt was the comforting warmth of Thane's arms around her.

And that night Shepard slept soundly.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Got some assignments that need finishing.
> 
> Alright, angst up ahead! (Yes, yes. Chii, where is the smut, I know. But it's going to be much more rewarding if I draw it out now, no? No? I'm terribly sorry then ;o; )  
> Thank you for all your supports! I love you all! <3

**Thane Krios**

Thane felt like he was twenty years younger, like that time when he first met Irikah. He found his heart hammering deafeningly loud in the presence of the human in front of him. In a matter of second, the emptiness that filled him was replaced by a long-lost feeling, something that she reminded him still exist in this galaxy despite what he had been through: happiness. Relief. Hope.

She was alive—so very real and organic he neglected breathing. It was as if he dared to move, she would cease to exist. However, the taste of her was something he would never forget, eidetic memory or not. It was no hallucination.

Thane grasped Shepard’s hands tightly in his own and brought it down as their digits intertwined together. Their forehead touched, breathing light. The drell thanked his goddess for denying her from the shore. It was not her time, and nor was it his.

He sighed wistfully at the smell of gunpowder mixed with lavender that he wouldn’t associate with anyone else. She was here, she was alive. He repeated those words continuously with his eyes closed, desperately hoping that it wasn’t a cruel joke orchestrated by his mind.

“Shepard, I thought you—“ _were dead, returned to the shore, ceased to exist, left me—_ “The news…” _said Normandy was destroyed, no, I saw you dropping into the atmosphere—_

"The great Thane Krios losing his words? Never thought I'd see the day.” The human did a small chuckle as she withdrew slightly, making his eyes flutter open. He smiled at her response, returning her friendly gesture with another low chuckle of his own. She was real, tangible.

“I…” He started again although he wasn’t sure why exactly. Would it be too bold if he said that he had missed her? Or would it not be sufficient to describe what he felt when she was gone? He was destroyed, what little fragment of happiness he had had been trampled when he thought she died. There was no word that could describe his feelings right now—elation, yes. Disbelief, certainly.

"Yes, Thane?" She whispered gently and he couldn’t help but smile when she tightened her grip on his hands. It was Shepard in front of him. She wouldn’t judge him no matter what he said.

"I have missed you." Thane replied slowly while looking at her as if trying to read her expression. When there was nothing there but shade of pink covering her cheeks, he continued, expressing how he regretted exposing her to harm, but she silenced him with her finger, claiming that it would take more than that to kill her.

And a voice that he would never forget echoed. It was Feron. He was standing right behind them the entire time, possibly. Was he there to finish what he had started? Was it him who attacked the ship in the first place? Anger built inside him as he stepped forward, draining any emotion off his voice and eyes.

But Shepard protected him, she said that it was thanks to him that she was alive and that—

“We found your son.”

Thane could feel his heart stopped beating. His son was alive? He didn’t even bother covering up the astonishment in his eyes at that statement and he felt himself letting out a pathetic whimper when Garrus came in with the unmistakable drell supported on his shoulder.

Kolyat. He was there, alive but unconscious. His hands trembled at the sight and his ears blocked away all noises that he couldn’t hear a thing but his beating heart. Kolyat was right in front of him—his treasure, a gift from Irikah and a blessing from Arashu.

He felt a hand gently encouraged him to step forward and he complied without any objection. Thane shook as he moved forward, letting out a trill that was part mourning and part disbelief. He could feel Garrus’s sympathetic eyes on him, a look that he would normally associate as being condescending but now comforting.

All the way to main Omega, he carried Kolyat on his back. His weight was insignificant compared to the burden of failure that he had on him for the past century. Anything aside from his son’s breathing noise and the calming heave of his chest, he could hear nothing else. Not even the usual loud banter between Shepard and Garrus.

He wasn’t sure what his face was showing but he was certain that it wasn’t the usual emptiness. Thane could feel the smile on his lips that never ceased to curve. It wasn’t only Shepard who made her fashionably timely return to him, but his only child too. It was as if Kalahira Herself declared that it was not their time and neither was it his.

And the one thing he did not expect was his yearning for Shepard’s touch. When those lips found their way to his once more, he found himself melting. She was fire and she ignited the flames of desire that he thought he had buried when his wife died. Despite all those harsh trainings in the past, he found out that he wasn’t a strong enough man to pull away from the willing temptation laid out in front of him.

He deepened the kiss, arms unconsciously going around her waist and stopping just above her rear. Their tongues were wrapped together in a tight intimacy, her breath so hot against him and his red folds that he could feel reaction starting to develop. If it wasn’t for Garrus’s interruption, he was certain that he would devour her right there.

He was ashamed of his lack of self-control. It had already been established that he would make a clear line between platonic and romantic affection when it came to Shepard and what he was feeling definitely didn’t seem like it was merely familial love. He felt himself _wanting_ her, _desiring_ her and he couldn’t help feeling like he was dishonouring Irikah.

Not only the contrast in their position in social hierarchy, he possibly almost doubled her age—ten years older at least. And considering the lifespan of general human and drell, he would be considered at more than that.

Thane snapped out of it when she started explaining how she escaped death. Feron played a massive role at rescuing her and Kolyat as well as tracking him down. Though they didn’t have the insight that Garrus had, it was impressive nonetheless.

However, the talk about his son brought chill along his body, something that he never experienced anymore lately. Because of his own weakness, his son paid the price. He had been subjected to torture that he had experienced firsthand. But as an assassin, he already had the proper mental training to withstand bodily harm whereas Kolyat had none.

Thane cursed himself. If he could turn back time, he would give anything to save him, rescue him from the hell he was caught up in. However, Shepard and Feron ended up doing his job for him and risked their lives for it. It was utterly shameful and ironic. His life lately had revolved around wanting to protect the commander, but she repeatedly threw herself into danger for him.

His heart was in turmoil at the information he received and it was as if ten years’ worth of emotion came spilling out when Shepard held him tightly. He could feel the unfamiliar feel of tears running down his cheeks and onto her shoulder, soaking her clothes but she didn’t seem to care. It only provoked more reaction as his whimper gradually became more pathetic, and he started to sob audibly.

The hand on his undeserving back was warm and soothing—it moved gently as if brushing away the pain and conflict that overtook every inch of his being. It was baffling how accepting she was even when he broke down. He was sure that she wouldn’t think any less of him despite witnessing his moment of utter weakness.

No words were exchanged, not that there was any need for them. Her presence spoke louder than anything else and hence worth more. Eventually, he could feel relief washing over him as he pulled away softly and placed their foreheads together. Her hands still firmly gripped around his back when he placed his around her waist.

“Feeling better?” She smiled while looking straight into his swollen eyes.

“Yes. Thank you, siha.” He whispered, this time noticing what he just said.

She cocked her eyebrows at the mention of the word and tentatively asked. “What does ‘siha’ mean?”

Thane’s lips tugged to form a small smile and he closed his eyes once more. His hands were intertwined together at the small of her back and he drew closer until he could smell her breath. “One day I’ll tell you what it means.”

“Tease.” She chuckled before withdrawing. She dragged a chair next to him and took off his shoulder pads before leaning against him.

The drell found his heart pounding loudly as he ran his fingers through her soft, slightly messy hair. She fell asleep quickly inside his embrace and he couldn’t help but smile. He never had a chance to have small moments of intimacy like that with Irikah due to his taxing job. He loved her, but he would never compare her to Shepard.

In the back of his mind, he thought that maybe it was time he stopped living in her memory. He knew that Shepard had been right all along—his wife wouldn’t want this for him. But even though he understood that fact, he couldn’t find it in him to completely let go without having guilty conscience.

Thane scooped Shepard up tenderly and carried her to the sofa. He put her body down just as softly before covering her with his cloak. He then sat back down on the chair, falling asleep himself.

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard’s beauty sleep was rudely interrupted by a sudden noise that came from within the apartment. She could vaguely tell whose voice it was and was ready to hit the source on the head because how many times did she have to tell him to stop watching stupid soap opera, or porn, during twilight.

“Feron, dude, I swear to god if I see another hanar fucking an asari I’ll—“ Her words stopped as soon as she came to a sitting position and saw Kolyat on the bed, hands gripped tightly on his father’s leather. He had an expression that she had never seen on a drell before. “Kol, let go of your father.” She ordered firmly.

The addressed drell growled with hostility before he withdrew his hands, not forgetting to shove him back.

“Kolyat, I apologise for abandoning you for so long.” Thane croaked helplessly, obviously unsure of how to handle the situation, and if any amount of apologies would be enough.

“Your apology won’t bring mother back!” He screamed although his voice was evidently breaking. “And now you want to be forgiven?!” The younger drell snarled aggressively. “Mother… she… she was… you should’ve been there to protect her!”

“We were—“

“Cut your bullshit!” He yelled out, not letting Thane finishing his sentence. “If you really loved her… if we ever meant anything to you, you would’ve been there! She doesn’t deserve any of this! And then you left me to suffer the same fate for _years_. I—“ He choked. “I’ll die before I admit you as my father!”

The look of horror on Thane’s face was clear and she had to restrain herself from hitting the boy square in the face with biotic.

Shepard stomped her way to the two drells, voice just as loud as the younger one. “Kolyat, that’s enough!” She pointed at the boy, making him tense. “I understand that you’re angry but that’s just over the top! Don’t you dare think for a second that Thane’s out there living large while you suffer. He was tortured for ten fucking years—what he experienced was no less painful than what you did. Yet he’s still a sane man. Part of it is because he was holding out hope that you are alive!”

Kolyat dropped his gaze at that instant, shame washing over him and Shepard sighed. She placed her hand on his shoulder softly. “You remember your promise?”

“Yeah.” He mumbled. “Sorry, I was just…”

“I know. I know.” Tapping his shoulder, she smiled. “Now I want you two to have a conversation like grown adults. Can you do that for me?”

“Hmm.” Kolyat nodded obediently.

Shepard stepped backwards and turned around, wanting to give the two privacy when Thane stopped her in her trail. “I’d rather you stay, Shepard. I believe Kolyat wishes so as well.”

“You sure?” She pursed her lips, not wanting to disrupt their moment together. Perhaps they had something they wanted to share regarding Irikah and she couldn’t help feeling like she didn’t feel belong. Not only that, she always felt a childish throb of jealousy when Thane fondly remembered her, eyes gleaming with affection. What a lucky woman she was.

“Please.” Kolyat gave her a pleading look that she couldn’t resist.

“We are more used to being around you than we are each other. Your presence is nothing but a calm in the storm.” The older drell replied raspily, hands clasped neatly on his lap and back hunched.

The two then resumed their talking. Kolyat was still furious and refused to understand his father’s reasoning but otherwise much calmer than he was initially. The talk revolved mostly around Irikah’s death, and Thane told Kolyat that he had just killed the slavers who took her with his help. That calmed him down further.

Turned out Shepard didn’t have to interfere or stop Kolyat from murdering his father. The kid wasn’t particularly gifted at the art of combat, but she was sure that Thane wouldn’t stand laying a finger on him. The tension went on for quite long but at least now the younger drell stopped raising his voice, hurling insults and denying every single thing that came out of Thane’s lips.

In other words, better than she had expected for their first go.

“So where are you planning to go from here, Shepard?” Thane was standing on the corner, hands busy mixing up tea leaves with what they had. They belonged to Feron and the man was currently sitting next to Shepard, both busy watching a movie on her omnitool.

At the mention of her name, she looked up but was cut off by Feron before she could say anything. “I’ve been stamped a traitor by the Broker so it’s natural that he would come for me eventually. Not to mention he’s still on Shepard’s trail. As much as I would suggest for us to stay low, I doubt this woman can stand that any longer.”

Thane placed the handpicked herbs inside a pot and poured boiling water inside it, letting it rest for a couple of minutes. Shepard glanced at Feron while scratching her head. “You’re gonna let me up and go?”

“Yes.” He said simply.

“And what of you, Feron?” Thane handed both of them a cup of tea each. Shepard took one tentatively and blew the heat off before she drank a little and her face brightened immediately. It was aromatic and extremely refreshing. She had never been a fan of tea but she gotta hand it to him for making her heads over heels.

The drell took a sip and smiled. “Damn. You’re still a god at tea brewing.” After that however, his face turned serious. “I was one of the best infiltrators, Thane. You think I can’t stay hidden?”

“You can only flee for so long. Besides, it would be nice to have you back.” He said but the other drell didn’t reply. He merely nodded and took another sip from the cup.

“You’ve done good deeds for me, Feron. Saved me, helped me find Kolyat and Thane. I want to do something for you in return.” She stated the fact. If it wasn’t for him, she would never be reunited with Thane again.

“Then I want you to help us—help the drells. That’s the reason why I decided to rescue you in the first place.” He muttered, gripping the cup tightly in his hands while staring into his reflection. “I want you to end this nightmare. Don’t you think it’s been going on long enough?”

Shepard nodded at his request. Even without him having to ask it out of her, she was already planning on doing that long ago since she met Thane, possibly when she first stepped her foot inside the room filled with caged drells. They were such fascinating species and she would very much like them to be free from this premonition. They didn’t deserve it. No species did.

“I promise you, Feron.” She stated firmly. “I will do my utmost best to open everyone’s eyes. I will bring justice to your people and ensure that no other species will be treated this way ever again.”

“Thank you, Shepard.” He said with voice that wasn’t short of gratitude. “This is a big request but I have no doubt that you’d be able to succeed.”

She smiled and gripped his shoulder tightly as a gesture of reassurance. She wasn’t sure herself how she would start but only time would tell.

Garrus, who was sitting on the bed listened to their conversation closely and said. “Shep, are you going to return to Citadel?”

At the mention of Citadel, Kolyat visibly tensed. Shepard noticed and quickly said. “It’s alright, Kol. You’ll be living with me.” She said gently before turning to face the turian. “Yeah although I doubt that Feron’s ship would be able to hold all of us. Besides, don’t you have bad blood with the C-sec now?” She asked carefully.

“Still do. I probably won’t get back into the rank anymore.” He shrugged in a very human-like way. There was an attempt for it to be nonchalant but she knew better. He was never fond of the organisation but she couldn’t help but feel rather guilty for being the very essence of the decision point.

“Are you…” She stalled, trying to find a correct way of saying what she wanted to. “Y’know. Blacklisted?”

“Luckily for me,” He spat sarcastically. “Councillor Sparatus revoked any charges made on me. Pretty sure he just did it because I’m a turian. I don’t think he’s a generous enough man to give that chance to others.”

“I never thought you dislike him.”

“I didn’t.” He growled. “But the council turned their backs on you, even after you saved their lives. Way to honour someone.”

She could only chuckle at the display of affection. It filled her with warmth seeing someone who a hundred precent had her back. She trusted him with her life and so did he. And if it was Garrus who had been assumed dead, she also would’ve done the exact same thing for him.

“As for the ride there, I’m sure I can sort something out with Kryik. I’m sure you want to see him too.” Garrus then called the turian spectre at Shepard’s confirmation. He didn’t tell a single thing about the supposedly-dead human in front of him. It would just be a surprise for him. He responded quickly, saying that he only needed to sort out a few things and would be there in a couple of days. He also seemed fairly satisfied with Garrus’s decision to come back.

“Alrighty.” He started. “We need to sort out who’s sleeping with who. My apartment is somewhat bigger than this hole so I might be able to haul two others with me.”

Kolyat immediately placed his sight on Shepard, half-pleading so he would be able to stay with her. The commander could feel the gaze and remembered that he still had to sort one thing out with him. However, she knew that if she openly said that she had feelings for Thane, it would destroy what fragile bond the father and son had formed. She could only imagine what kind of things he would say to him.

Feron could sense the desperation in Shepard and he opened his mouth. “Kolyat, you cannot fight efficiently. You have no hope of defending yourself in case of a sudden attack. Arashu knows how many enemies she has.” He looked at Shepard who seemed relieved that he backed up her ass. “With us, you have a better chance of surviving. At least those assassins would have two more fighters to worry about.”

“And _Thane_ gets to stay with her?”

She was momentarily concerned that he would blurt out their relationship but apparently Feron knew better than that. “Your father was hired by Shepard to protect her in the first place. Not to mention he already had the proper training to sleep lightly, therefore able to detect slightest noise fluctuation. She would be able to sleep better if she was with him.”

The frustration was clear on the younger drell’s face but he relented, understanding the logic behind his argument. “Alright.” He muttered, displeasure all over his voice.

Garrus, Feron and Kolyat then left Shepard’s apartment, although the latter did it begrudgingly. After they completely disappeared, she took a deep breath and exhaled just as loudly.

“Kolyat is developing something for you.” Thane started, making her almost jump out in surprise. She had completely forgotten his presence.

“Yeah… Feron told me that.” She muttered, cursing the sharpness of his senses.

“And do you not have any feelings for him?” He cocked his head to the side in query, hands clasped behind his back just like usual.

“Thane…” She started but did not finish. _‘I only have feelings for you’,_ she added in her mind. However, she decided not to voice it out loud. He had rejected her and she respected his decision—she didn’t want to seem like desperate dog trying to get attention. “I don’t fall for someone easily.”

“I did not mean to insult you, Shepard.”

At the mention of her name, her heart throbbed. Not _siha_. Not siha, but Shepard. Sure, she didn’t get the significance of that term. However, she secretly loved it when someone used a nickname to address her. It made her feel closer with the other party.

Shepard took a big step towards the drell and grabbed him by the leather, leaning in for a kiss. However, she stopped when one finger was pressed against her lips, pushing her away. When she looked at him, his expression was as unreadable as ever, and he looked down.

Thane said nothing as he backed away from her and turned around to place both of his hands on the kitchen bench.

It was the first time he had turned her down.

**Thane Krios**

Thane was particularly confident in his skill when it came to mixing tea leaves to create unique taste. Ever since he was little and during his servitude in the Compact, he would take a little time off training to brew something. Through trial and errors, he grew quite an extensive list of recipes that he would sometimes share with other drells.

Shepard hardly ever drank teas as far as he was concerned. Every morning she had coffee as a companion. Of course he didn’t have anything against the said beverage. He indulged in it every once in a while but he much preferred the taste of tea.

Seeing the look of pleasure in her eyes as soon as she took stirred delight within him. It never ceased to fill him with warmth whenever she had such content look on her face knowing that he was the one who put it there.

He was aware of the effect she had on him and just how much his heart sped up whenever they were wrapped in intimacies. Of course he had denied her heart but he could feel his feelings shifting as time went on. The news of her death was definitely the starting point of the metastasising of his adoration. He realised how he came to care a surprisingly great deal for her.

She was a breath of fresh air for him; something that he wouldn’t want to ever live without. Even if they had only been together briefly, he found himself attracted to her. She was powerful, humble and selfless just like Irikah. Although he would never replace his late wife, he still found himself slowly falling for her.

Perhaps he would confess how foolish he had been when he turned her down. He did not have long to live but if she would have him until the end then it would be worth it. However, there was always the issue regarding his life span. He wouldn’t want her to grieve anymore—he didn’t want her to shed tears for him. But he was certain that if they would settle down and discuss the possibilities, they might come to an agreement at last. If she decided that it was best to spare herself the grieving, then he would respect such decision.

Thane was frankly quite disappointed when Feron decided that he wouldn’t come with them. He was looking forward to catching up with an old friend but their reunion had to be cut short. He owed him since if it wasn’t for him, Shepard and Kolyat wouldn’t be there with him.

Kolyat. It was difficult to come to term with the fact that he had been alive all along. It was precisely why he acknowledged the source of the arsenal of insults shot at him when he first woke up. He was confident that he wouldn’t know who he was since eidetic memory usually didn’t form until they were around three years old. But Shepard obviously had informed him that she was out looking for his father.

It was exceedingly tricky to avoid conversation regarding Irikah but both of them only had one thing in common—her. Both of them knew her personally and had treasured her with all their being. No word could describe the pain he felt when Kolyat rubbed salt on his open wound, stating the blatant truth of his failure as a father.

This first conversation was the deciding point. If he refused to open his heart, Thane was certain that he would have no second chance of reconciling with the only family he had left. However, it was next to impossible for him to deny what his son hurled at him because all of them were true. He should’ve tried harder. He should’ve done more to protect both of them from harm. He had no right to be called a father.

But Shepard saved them. She managed to salvage their broken, abandoned relationship by merely staying there for both of them. She calmed Kolyat down until he managed to speak without raising his voice, and by the end of the day they settled down, neither one screaming. A chance presented itself. Although he was sure that it would take a long time and effort, both of them would once again claim each other as family. It was something that he had no luxury of, but he planned on utilising every single breath he took to bring him closer to it.

So when he discovered that Kolyat had feelings for Shepard, his world fell apart.

His pleads to be together with Shepard had made him cock one of his eye ridges, but what caught him by surprise was the trill he made. He wasn’t sure if he did it on purpose or if he simply had no control over it but it clogged his throat.

Yet he knew that his son would guarantee a longer lasting happiness for her. He was younger, healthier, not bogged down by terminal illness. And based on what Garrus said, he was a proficient engineer. Given time, he would be able to stand beside Shepard in battles.

So he stepped down.

Shepard deserved better than someone whose life was hung by a thread. She deserved better than someone who failed to protect those close to him, someone whose hands tainted with death and vengeance, someone who wouldn’t hurt her due to their past.

With heavy heart, he pulled away from her kiss. It took every ounce of the self-control he had left but he managed. Even without seeing her expression first-hand, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to resist himself to see a dejected look on her. But it would be worth it. He wanted to spare her the hardship of being with a dying man and let her open another door to someone’s heart.

There was a humourless chuckle from behind him, followed with a hand roughly grabbing his shoulder and spun him around. He was faced with a furious Shepard whose eyes gleaming with resisted tears.

“You’re turning back now?” She muttered with hint of laughter although voice vividly shaken. “Are you _fucking_ kidding me?!” This time one droplet of moisture spilled out from her eyes.

He steeled himself. “You deserve better than me, Shepard.”

“Oh yeah?” She taunted, eyes burning with anger. “So you think now you have any right to tell me who I can and can’t fall for?!”

“I am dying. You have no future with me.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Krios!” She yelled, shoving him away and he felt helpless under the rough contact. “If you think that would stop this feeling from growing then you are so gravely wrong. I got you your son back. I chased you despite terrible odds from your reckless decision to die. Don’t you dare think for a second that I would ever stop trying to prolong what time you have left!”

Thane was taken aback by the reaction he received. He had not realised the depth of her affection for him and it killed him to see her breaking down because of the miscalculation on his part. He only wanted to be considerate but he failed to take into account her feelings. “Shepard, I—“

“Not, a, single, word.” She raised her hand to stop him. “I would gladly accept your rejection if you have zero romantic interest for me. You only have to say the word and I’ll stop touching you. Call me presumptuous but if you dare deny our happiness, our future together just to protect my feelings, then you can go _fuck_ yourself.” The tears continued to trickle down her face and she aggressively wiped them away.

Thane was rendered speechless at that point. He said and did nothing as Shepard turned away from him and threw herself on the bed, facing the wall.

The quietness in the apartment became deafening.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one up! I hope I can wrap this up soon although it seems unlikely ;__; it's getting waaaay too long!
> 
> All supports are appreciated ~ <3<3

**Jane Shepard**

She wasn’t sure why exactly she burst like she did. Perhaps it was because she felt like her effort to find him was suddenly not appreciated. Thane never shied away from their intimacies and maybe she was lulled into a sense of security that he would _never_ push her away. Or it could be that she had been delusional and started to imagine that they were actually together despite no agreement was made.

There was no proof that Thane returned her affection, in fact he had rejected her straight out which she appreciated much more than being kept in the dark. But the look that he gave her couldn’t lie—his eyes were always full of life when they were together, and she was sure that hers shone the same way too. He also seemed to be taking the initiative to return her kiss and embrace ever since they were reunited. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought that he was slowly changing his mind. Maybe she had a chance now.

Had she read it wrong?

She would’ve assumed that it was the case had Kolyat not been brought up. But the way all emotions seemed to be drained from his eyes when they briefly discussed the boy made her think that he was stepping back.

It was ridiculous. _Feelings_ are ridiculous. Before she met Thane everything had been just fine. She wasn’t a schoolgirl with her foolish crush—someone who would stop at nothing to capture a heart. She felt like she was going insane. It had been so long since she was capable of any romantic interest she forgot how complicated it was.

“You called, Shep?” A familiar voice that belonged to turian came from behind her and she slumped her head further down, arms crossed over the metal railing of the corridor overlooking the ground. Garrus copied her posture and looked at her.

“I fucked up.”

“Right. Can you elaborate?” He asked without his signature mischievous tone which she appreciated so very much. She felt much too tired for snarkiness.

“It’s all one big blob of mess with Thane. I don’t understand shit about how his mind works it’s driving me insane.” Shepard sighed while resting her chin on her arm. Garrus gave her a questioning look and she continued. “I’m just a fucking idiot, Garrus.” She cursed herself. “I’m infatuated.”

“I can tell.” He chuckled softly. “Aren’t you two involved already? What happened?”

Shepard tugged the corner of her lips and sighed. “Nah. He rejected me flat. What we have—had…” She corrected quickly. “I thought it was nothing but the usual friends with benefit thing. But I found out that I can’t just throw away the feelings I have for him out of the window. I guess I was getting too comfortable.”

“And he pushed you away?”

“Yep.” She groaned. It was pathetic. “I got angry at him. I know it wasn’t his fault since we never had any romantic affiliation to begin with. I’m just being utterly childish and threw a tantrum.” Shepard turned around now leaning against the railing. “There’s just something about that guy that makes me all emotional. Damn it.”

“Well, I’ve certainly never seen you like this before.”

“And I know I usually don’t fuss about romance.” She let out a small chuckle. “But damn him. He can kill a dozen armed soldiers with his bare hands but can also make damn good tea with them. Those two skills don’t really get along together. And he’s… I don’t know… I just found myself drawn to him.”

“Well then you shouldn’t do anything you’ll regret.” Garrus replied. “Do you know why he decided to turn around now?”

“You see,” She sighed exhaustedly. “I was told that Kolyat likes me.”

“Uh-oh.” He added, knowing exactly where the story was going to go.

“Yeah.” There was a long pause before she continued. “But that’s only a guess. Maybe I’m just being too narcissistic and the reason why he pushed me away is because he doesn’t like me. As I was saying, I can never tell with him and it pisses me off. He always seem so infuriatingly calm about everything, dammit.”

And yes the lack of expression on his face never ceased to frustrate her. She was too used to being around people whose eyes were easy to read, easy to decipher and now when confronted with someone who had been trained to never let his emotion spill, she became impatient.

“I really don’t like it when I don’t know where I stand. Man, being told that he hates me would be a giant leap. It’ll actually give me relief to some degree.” She complained, burying her face in her hands. “Now I’m just thinking what if he had been acting around me? What if all those lights in his eyes had been nothing but lies? Maybe I’m just not as good as reading people as I thought.”

“I don’t think he hates you, Jane.”

“And how would you know?”

“Subharmonic?” He shrugged.

“What if he makes that up too?”

“Now you’re just being pedantic.” Garrus bumped her shoulder with his playfully, making her lose her balance for a millisecond. “This isn’t like you at all. The Shepard I know would just confront them head on instead of running away and being depressed on me.”

“I’m scared, Garrus.” She whispered, feeling a surge of worry washed over her. “I can’t stop liking him and it terrifies me. He reminds me too much of myself a few years ago. I want to take that pain away from him but I can’t do it if he doesn’t let me. What if when I come back he passive-aggressively tells me to piss off?”

“Then you can drink yourself into a stupor. Better than continuously worrying over this.”

“As long as you don’t spike my drinks again.” She smiled, followed with soft clicks from his mandibles. “Thanks, Garrus. I really appreciate you being here for me. You’re a bro.”

“And you’re like a sister to me, Jane. Of course I’d have your back. Now go sort this mess up. If he makes you cry again Nihlus will be there for the comfort sex.” He snickered mischievously, rewarded with a playful jab on his side.

Shepard headed for her apartment once more with clearer brain, sincerely grateful that she had a friend she could completely confide in. She would go back and apologise to him for exploding unnecessarily like that. He just wanted what was best for her and she wanted him to be selfish for once. She was the one at fault and if he deemed her behaviour too hurtful, she just had to bear the cross. Despite the worst case scenarios playing in her head, Shepard was certain that Thane would be kind enough to forgive her for the sudden outburst.

She tentatively thumbed the door handle in front handle and bit the insides of her cheeks, silently bracing herself. With a gentle tug and a loud sigh, she pushed the door open.

“Tha—“

“Shepard.” His voice cut hers off. The worry was clear in his tone as he cleared his throat. “I… I thought you wouldn’t return.”

Hearing the vulnerability twisted her stomach into a tight knot. He didn’t have the right to sound like that at all—she should be the one sounding like that. “I had to cool down.” She only managed to phrase a few words when he approached her in his usual posture. “Sorry for screaming at you.”

“No, I should be the one apologising. I shouldn’t have stepped back like that.”

Shepard shook her head. Even when it was clearly her fault, he was still polite, or perhaps foolish enough to take the blame. Now instead of the normal void in his eyes, he looked genuinely concerned like he expected her to start ignoring him. That wasn’t exactly what she wanted to see.

“Damn it, Thane.” She said after a long silence. “You shouldn’t even be sorry. It was _my_ fault. You made it clear that you have no interest in me and I kept pushing.” Before he could say anything, she lifted her hand as a gesture for him to let her continue, and he complied. “I like to know my position in someone’s life. But I can’t seem to tell when it comes to you and it frustrates me. One second you seem to enjoy being with me and the next you push me away.

“You play your cards too close to your chest, I don’t know what you’re thinking. Are you fond of me, tolerate me or hate me with burning passion—I have no freaking clue. Or maybe I’m just over-reading it and you’re simply still mourning for your wife and don’t want another in your life. I mean that’s cool. If that’s the case then I’ll gladly leave you alone and never touch you again. But I just want to know what I am to you so I can move on.”

Shepard braced herself for the worst. _‘Here it comes,’_ she thought as Thane fell deep in thought. He probably was thinking of the nicest possible way to shoot her down. Or maybe claim that he never particularly liked her to begin with and was just being polite so he tolerated her. Maybe he just didn’t find her species attractive enough? Or maybe Irikah. Maybe Kolyat.

Thane’s head tilted upwards to face her and she found herself not being brave enough to maintain eye contact for more than a split second. Sweat started forming in her hands as the deafening silence stretched on. It was as if she was twelve once more, trying to confess to her crush during primary school. It was just plain ridiculous what that man could do to her. She had never been so damn nervous in her entire life, not even when she faced the council for the first time. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, threatening to pop out of her ribcage as his lips moved.

“I have considered what you said.” He started calmly, voice never wavering. “Irikah would not want me to grieve for her this way.” Thane clasped his hands tightly around his back as he paused. “After she was killed, I went into a battle sleep. All I could think of is vengeance and little else. I vowed that once I tracked them down and gave them what they deserve then I would return to her side by the ocean.”

The silence stretched on and Shepard found herself being a little calmer now, her breathing no longer coming in short pants _. ‘It’s okay, he’s not going to smack me down. Even if he’s gonna reject me he’ll do it nicely. Good guy Thane Krios._ ’ She assured herself.

“But you woke me up.” Thane continued. “You gave me purpose to live again. And now you brought Kolyat back to me. I will never be able to repay what you’ve done for me.” He took a step forward until she was within arm’s reach. “However attractive you are, and I assure you that you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever received the pleasure of meeting, I cannot find it in me to become selfish and claim you as mine.”

“But I _want_ you to be selfish!” She quickly said before he could resume. “God knows how oppressed you’ve been. I want you to follow what you truly desire for once. A-and of course I’m not saying that you should claim me. But I’m just… saying for things in general… And I’m not exactly desirable, I guess but…” She stuttered. “I’m terrible at this mushy stuff. Ignore me.” She buried her face in her hands as she groaned loudly, couldn’t believe how badly she just embarrassed herself.

However, Thane grabbed her by the wrist and he moved forward quickly to cup her cheek with his own hand. Their faces suddenly became so close she could feel herself holding her breath.

“Then allow me to claim you, if you would have me, siha.”

Shepard was momentarily stunned like she just received a powerful blow on the back of her head. She blinked away her confusion, mouth slightly agape. Did he just… did he just said what she thought he said? Was he saying yes? Or was a drell version of saying ‘fuck off’? Maybe her translator glitched and she was just hearing what she wanted to hear, maybe she was dreaming and was actually asleep on the corridor somewhere.

She pinched her own arm and screamed in pain at the sensation, making Thane jolt a bit. “Uh… sorry. That was a human way to make sure that we’re not dreaming or anything.” She could see the slight smirk on the corner of his lips and she cleared her throat. “I… uh… wow. I don’t know, Thane.”

Disappointment slipped into his eyes and he retracted his hand. “I see.”

“God _no_! That’s not what I meant!” She flailed in frustration at the miscommunication. “I meant… uh, what I meant to say was…” She stammered, unsure of what to say. “Fuck it all!” With unmatched speed, she jabbed both of her hands to get a good grip on his cloak before pulling him in so aggressively their lips crashed into each other. It was a miracle they didn’t bump their noses or foreheads and make things awkward but boy, was she glad. If she could embarrass herself even more that would be the way to go.

Thane cupped his hands to her cheeks once more in attempt to deepen the kiss. Shepard moaned when he thrust his tongue inside her mouth, tongue swiping on the ceiling before wrapping around hers. She curled her arms around his neck and pulled him closer if it was still possible. The distance between them was non-existent as Shepard found herself being pushed backwards due to the force Thane was exerting against her.

The kiss was nothing tame. It was as if all the restraints he put on himself for so long finally lost its durability and snapped at once. In front of her wasn’t the usual calm and composed, soft spoken Thane but a hungry man who had no other wish but devour her. Gods be damned, it turned her on.

Moans of approval echoed inside the apartment and Shepard was backed against the wall but the drell still made no move to pull away. If anything, he kept going until she shook his shoulder and pushed him slightly. She was running out of breath but the man seemed like he still had a lifetime of supply of. He finally noticed her silent pleas and withdrew.

Panting loudly, he looked at her. “Apologies. I was trained to hold my breath since I—“

Shepard smashed their lips together again and she could feel Thane’s hand tugging on the zipper of her hoodie. Her heart thumped loudly as he dragged it down with hissing noise that could barely be heard over the noise of their pleasure. However, before he could brush the jacket off her body, he paused.

“If you dare stop now I’ll kick your ass from Omega straight to Citadel.” She scowled.

“Making mass relays obsolete now, siha?” He chuckled before diving in to suck the crook of her neck, making her jump.

That tongue should be illegal. She had a taste of what it could do inside her mouth now she wanted to feel it on other parts of her body. He could work miracle with that and Shepard was a happy woman.

“Christ…” She stifled her moans by biting the skin on her wrist as the drell familiarised himself with her throat. She could feel him sucking and nipping on various parts. She would have so many hickeys and Garrus to laugh at her tomorrow but that would be another story. For now she wanted to drown herself in the attention she was basked in.

“Do humans make it a habit to call out their gods during times such as this?” She could feel a slight smirk on his lips as he continued nibbling on her shoulder.

“Only if their partner is doing a stellar job—oh god!” She yelped when he sunk his teeth hard. It wasn’t long until she felt a hand slipping underneath her shirt, running all over her abdomen. Slowly it trailed behind her and to the clasp of her bra. With dexterity, he unclipped it as if he had done it a hundred times before.

Their lips met again in searing passion as Thane ran his hand around her breasts but not touching their peaks. She was literally begging for him to touch her there by muttering incoherent words that were actually just whimpers. He used his thumb and index finger to cup underneath and pushed them upwards then squeezed, making her gasp.

He withdrew just to look at Shepard straight in the eyes. With voice so raspy and tantalising, he whispered. “May I?”

“Go for your life.” She croaked and soon her words were covered by moans as he pinched her nipples and twisted them. He bowed down and bunched her clothes up so he could clearly see her mounds. And the moment she had been waiting for arrived—that connoisseur tongue wrapped around her, sucking intensely. She was _too_ sensitive. It must’ve been the drell venom he was talking about.

The noise she made was just ridiculous. She had never felt the pleasure like the one she was experiencing and they weren’t even halfway there yet. She squealed when Thane rounded one of his arms around her waist and pulled her up so she was on his shoulder. And as if she weighed nothing, he carried her to the bed with one hand before setting her gently down the mattress.

He put a hand next to her neck and loomed over her, landing a feathery kiss on her lips while pushing up her clothes. She lifted her hands shakily to unclasp his cloak to no avail. Why must it be so complicated?

Thane grabbed her wrist, smirking slightly as he removed his clothing slowly like he was giving her a striptease of her live. Damn, that man was too much for her. She could feel her arousal building as he peeled off the tight leather off his body, revealing a well-toned chest and stomach as well as ripped arms. He looked like he just stepped out of the cover of Fornax magazine and she found herself drooling at the sight. He gained body mass since she was gone.

She involuntarily licked her lips as he once more closed the distance between them while rubbing her inner thigh and whispered. “Tell me if you would like me to stop.” When she nodded, he wasted no time as he slipped his hand under her pants and underwear. Shepard held her breath unconsciously, waiting impatiently.

He used his other hand to part her thighs wider so he would have easier access. Then those scaly fingers found their way to her clitoris, pressing it gently and she gasped for air while letting out a loud moan. Pleased with the reaction he received, he pinched the little bundle of nerve and tugged it slightly. She couldn’t help but buck her hips at the sensation.

Oh yes, he definitely knew how to please a human female to the point where they became a panting, begging mess. If the galaxy could see their great Commander Shepard with a half-naked drell on top of her and hand inside her pants with one aim: to please her, what would they think?

He pressed one finger inside her and she immediately clamped around him. This was it. She had been waiting for that sensation. Now if he would replace it with his clever mouth…

But instead of going further, Thane retracted his hand, making Shepard sigh her disappointment. He merely chuckled as he licked her essence from his finger, not breaking their eyecontact. Shepard shuddered at the sight and immediately bolted upright to grab the drell by the shoulder and flipped him around so he was underneath her.

“You’re a terrible tease.” She growled, hands pulling down his tight leather pants that moulded so perfectly with him. She was going to worship his more-muscular-than-ever thighs so hard that not even the owner himself could stop her.

“Patience, my siha.” He smiled, stroking her cheek affectionately as he felt himself being stripped bare.

Shepard then moved to remove her own clothes although it was in no way the sensual movement that Thane gave her. She could barely dance to save her life and she was damn sure that she wasn’t going to try now. When she heard the small laughter coming from him, she scoffed. “What? Expecting a striptease? Wrong woman to turn to, sere.”

“You are already the impeccable impersonation of temptation. I do not think I can handle you stripte—Oh!” He sighed in approval when she straddled his nude erection with her own skin.

The human decided that she liked the breathy sound of his moan so she rotated her hips, trying to draw more of those lewd noises.

“Oh yeah,” She purred when she saw that expression on his face. He was writhing in bliss underneath her, hands gripping tightly on the bedsheet.

Thane sat up, grabbing Shepard by the waist and pulled her upwards. She could feel the tip of his member nudging on her slit but made no move to penetrate her. Their lips met once more and when they pulled back, Thane had a questioning look.

She smiled reassuringly, stroking the red folds on his cheek before pushing against him, taking in his length. Both of them immediately moaned out loud at the sensation. His every ridge stretched her momentarily, rubbing against the spots that would otherwise be untouchable. Then another took its place as he entered deeper.

“Thane…” She whispered while nibbling on his frill. He let out a high-volumed trill, breathing coming in short pants. His chest heaved up and down madly, heart hammering. The drell pulled her hand and moved it to his sensitive spot, urging her to stroke it.

Shepard noticed what he was trying to say. That maroon-coloured flesh must be the drells’ erogenous zone. She wasn’t sure why they deemed it save to leave them uncovered but otherwise made no move to question it. Her tongue immediately went to work, licking up and down while Thane hilted inside her.

“You are unbelievably tight, siha…” He purred in her ears, sending shiver down her spine. She would never, ever, get over how hot his voice sounded. Now that he was clouded with pleasure, it was even more so.

The male growled low as they moved slowly. They began with a slow rhythm but movement got more and more erratic as time went on. Their breathing came in short, jagged pants and Shepard had to bite her lips so no scream could spill out.

They fit like pieces of puzzle arranged in correct order. Shepard could feel herself getting accustomed to his size and shape, her core wrapping around him tightly. Though she’s had her share of bed partners, none of them could compare with how Thane made her feel—so complete.

Their lips met again while hips never stopped bucking. Moans echoed in the small space as they tangled together, cries of ecstasy became deafeningly loud.

“Thane!” She hissed when he started throbbing inside her and it wasn’t long before she came apart. The drell did several quick thrusts to achieve completion, letting out a contented sigh as he did so.

Shepard could feel warmth spreading throughout her body as she fell on the drell. Before she could completely squash him though, he grabbed her shoulders and placed her next to him, in turn pulling out of her. He faced away and tried to restrain some coughs although it wasn’t very successful.

She rubbed his back in concern at the sudden reaction. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” He inhaled. “I haven’t had the luxury to be engaged in ah, sexual relations. It’s putting strain on my lung, I’m afraid.”

“You should’ve told me earlier. We didn’t have to do this _now_. I can wait.” She responded only to have a pair of soft lips on her forehead.

“If I remember correctly, you were the one who urged me to fulfil my selfish desire.” He smiled.

“Come on now, don’t use my words against me. Have you been doing your treatment?” She curled her nose in an attempt to pout.

“Not since you were reported dead.” Thane answered while he adjusted his position to accommodate the woman inside his arms.

Shepard could feel his uneven breath radiating off his chest and she was unsure if it was merely an aftereffect of the fatigue or if it was always like that. She suddenly felt guilty for laying with him. After all that big talk about how she wanted to cure him, she could’ve made his condition even worse!

“Did you have any attacks?”

“They come in short burst every now and then.”

“We need to get you a transplant.” She muttered into him, breathing in his scent. The sweet aroma that invaded her nostril slowly lulled her to dream world. Her eyelids became heavier as time went on.

“Rest, siha. We will discuss this tomorrow.” He landed another kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger for a few moment.

**Thane Krios**

All of his life he had always been focused on pleasuring his owner, not too rare sexually. At one point he had a human mistress who had ridiculously high sex drive and he learned more about their bodies than he cared. But now he found that the knowledge he gained to be priceless. Combined with his venom and trained tongue, he turned her on enough for her to start moaning uncontrollably, eyes flaming with desire.

But that kind of reaction was a double-edged sword. Once he saw the desperate look directed at him, he couldn’t help but feel aroused himself. He would never say it but it was highly enticing to see one of the galaxy’s best and most respected soldiers reduced to a begging mess. If a few years ago he was told that he would be bedding _the_ Commander Shepard, he would just cock his head and wonder if the person speaking with him was a madman.

The feel of being fully sheathed inside her could not compare with what he had experienced. As a pet, it was considered taboo for his owners to be penetrated by him so he was never allowed—not that he particularly wanted to anyway. So instead of stepping forward recklessly, he had asked her if he could enter which she eagerly accepted.

They moved as one together until they reached the climax they sought. It felt surreal, and he was sure that it was the one memory that he would always treasure. For the first time in so long, he found himself not being weighed down by the thought of Irikah. He would never forget about her but it was time for him to move on. There is a space for two loves in one lifetime. But of course he would never dared to imagine that it would in the arms of a human, or another species.

Shepard lay beside him, snoring lightly into his chest. He pulled the blanket over their bodies so they wouldn’t catch a cold in the morning. He thought about the lung transplant that Shepard talked about but it seemed so farfetched. Kolyat wouldn’t be willing to part with one of his lungs so easily nor was Thane egoistic enough to rob him off it. He deserved a complete life after what he had been through. He had never been there for him so there was no reason for his son to help him at all.

He wasn’t sure how long he had left, but it wouldn’t surprise him if all he had was a few months. He understated the occurrence of the attacks he got lately, not wanting to worry her any more. It used to happen once in every month or two but now it came in every three days. Sometimes when he overstrained his fragile lungs, once every day. It was only the balm from the hanar that kept his illness at bay. And even then he neglected to apply it since he thought there was no need to.

But he had avoided death more than he could count and he prayed to Kalahira to keep him away from Her ocean. Not now. Not when he had so much to live for.

All night he didn’t close his eyes. He thought about Shepard and Kolyat—the two miracles that came into his life. Now that he decided to accept Shepard’s heart, his son would be hostile if he ever found out. Chances are he would accuse him of replacing Irikah although it wasn’t the case. There would never be another like her. But of course that didn’t mean that Shepard was any less. They were both beautiful in their own ways.

Irikah had been a grace in his life. Amidst the unfair treatment they received, she was full of kindness and gentleness that melted his heart. She could see the good behind the bad, giving forgiveness to those who didn’t deserve it, loving those whose heart was ice cold.

Shepard was an unparalleled force of brute strength. She was confident, charismatic and respected. Half the galaxy would follow her lead into battle without question. She was the fire that set aflame all wicks, igniting desire in those who came close enough to get burnt.

He was fortunate to know two siha in his life. And Shepard was right. It was time for him to stop supressing his needs and start being selfish for once. He had only little time left and he wasn’t going to sacrifice his and her happiness.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and it took her a while to focus but when she did, she looked at him right away.

“Is something wrong, siha?”

She blinked away her confusion and licked her lips in nerve. “Thane… I think… I think Irikah visited me in my dream.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna do a timeline jump soon! Thank you all for sticking with this story ;o;!  
> All comments/kudos are highly appreciated!
> 
> [16/12] Edited some inconsistencies

**Jane Shepard**

_“Commander Shepard.”_

Came a soft whisper from a voice that was rough yet feminine at the same time. She could feel her body slowly being awakened although not forcibly. However she found it difficult to open her eyes. It was as if they refused to listen to her order like she was in a sleep paralysis.

_“Commander Shepard.”_

It echoed again in her ears. There was something familiar about how it rang but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it. This time she tried a little harder to twitch her fingers and she could somewhat feel them moving. It was an improvement. She inhaled gently, gradually easing herself until her eyes could flutter open.

There was darkness surrounding her but it was odd how her feet seemed to know where they were going. She could hear droplets of water and how they glittered as they fell to the ground. Eyes still constantly scanning the area, she could finally see a hint of light on the other side. She kept advancing towards it and she was greeted with a marvellous sight of an ocean.

The sand was pure white like it hadn’t been touched, water as blue as sapphire with gentle waves washing to the shore. She found herself mesmerised by the view that she forgot to wonder where exactly she was. When she was about to step forward however, she found her feet rooted to the ground. She couldn’t move.

“What…” She sighed in annoyance. It was odd how she had full control of her mind but not her body. Usually dreams gave people none, right? “Come on, feet.” She complained, trying hard to step forward but failed.

“Commander Shepard.” The exact same voice from earlier rang clear in her ears and she saw someone approaching from behind the cliff. A drell. Scales golden yellow and frills wide, curling backwards.

“Irikah.” Her lips moved by themselves and she jolted after she realised what she said. With speed, she slapped her hand on her mouth. “Sorry, I…” She pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure why exactly her mind was trying so hard to convince her that it really was Irikah standing before her.

Smile grew on her full lips and eyes shone with kindness. Shepard swallowed and then nodded. Yes, it was definitely her. The woman that Thane loved until now. There was gentleness and benevolence in the wide onyx orbs of hers and Shepard found herself absolutely enchanted.

“I… uh… I hope you’re not mad that I… uhm, and Thane…” She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly after a prolonged period of utter silence.

“Quite the contrary.” She smiled and clasped her hands neatly on the front. “I would like to thank you, Commander.”

“Jane is alright. Or Shepard.” The redhead replied. “And please, don’t thank me.”

“Very well, Jane.” The drell nodded calmly and moved towards her although stopping within an arm’s reach. “Thank you for waking him up. I fear that he would foolishly return to the ocean before his time but I’m glad that it’s not the case. He can be quite reckless.”

She chuckled at the light-heartedness that she displayed. “Amen to that.” There was a pause and she continued. “Where is this? Afterlife?”

“Yes. And that is why you cannot step beyond that line, Jane. And nor can I.” Irikah looked back slowly before turning back to her. “I haven’t seen Thane being as happy as whenever he is around you in twenty years. He is a selfless man. Sometimes you might not understand why he does thing the way he does but know that it’s because he will always prioritise those who he cherishes. I am glad that you didn’t let the misunderstanding develop further.”

“Well, that was… partly my fault too.”

She only shook her head and smiled although didn’t deny her statement. She was glad that Irikah didn’t try to honey-coat anything. “Your relationship is still budding. There is so much you still don’t know about each other but I do hope that you will be able to get over your differences and establish a genuine connection.”

Shepard couldn’t help but choke back a whimper at the kindness that she displayed. She wasn’t sure that if she died before her loved one that she would be able to watch them going off with another. Comparing to her, she was only a child. “Thank you, Irikah. I promise I will take care of him.” She smiled. “He is a lucky man, to have someone like you loving him.”

“You are too kind, Jane.”

“Hell no.” She scoffed. “After seeing you now I wonder how he can even stand me.” Irikah was flower and classical music but Shepard was gunfire and heavy metal. She briefly doubted that her relationship with Thane would even work out.

“He’s not the type of man who tricks someone into his bed. Besides, you are quite the selfless woman yourself, Jane. You helped him to rediscover the meaning of life.”

She wanted to deny what Irikah just said. Because what if all she did, she did because she wanted Thane to fall for her? It wouldn’t surprise her at all if that was the case. She was selfish as fuck.

“Why talk to me, Irikah? Why not Thane?” The human whispered after she was done chastising herself.

“Drells do not have the capability to enter a dreaming state. Besides even if we can, I would not visit him. I do not wish to make him live in an illusion of me.”

Shepard nodded in an understanding and had to once again salute her for her strength. Try as she might, she was certain that she wouldn’t be able to resist herself from revisiting her loved one if she was in the drell’s shoes.

“How do you do it?” She shook her head. “How can you be so strong?”

“We are all strong in our own way.” At that instant, Shepard could feel her sight shifting and blurring. Her head spinning and legs heavy as if there was something that was pulling her down. “Farewell, Jane. I’ll leave him in your hands.”

The human’s eyes opened abruptly and she was greeted with a green-scaled chest heaving up and down. There was a soft hand on her hair, stroking it gently as the man looked at her in concern.

“Is something wrong, siha?” Thane. She was back in real life.

Shepard closed her eyes once more real tight before she opened them again to face him. She took a deep breath. “Thane… I think… I think Irikah visited me in my dream.”

The man seemed pensive for a moment although any look of surprise was concealed. His lips curled in uncertainty and silence drew on. Shepard licked her lips unconsciously in nerve before she wrapped her arms around him. She said nothing but she just needed the closeness.

Thane, thankfully understood. He rested his chin on top of her head and continued running his fingers through her hair. “Did she?”

“She’s an amazing woman. I can see why you love her.” She muttered into his chest, trying her best to fight off the possessiveness that started to surface. She was ashamed and momentarily insecure. She was such a child compared to his late wife and she started to fear that it would put him off eventually.

“Siha.” Thane pried her gently away from him to take a good look at the human. However, he said nothing and she averted her eyes. At that instant, the drell moved in to land a soft kiss on her forehead and proceeded to stroke her cheek adoringly. “I will never compare you to her.”

Shepard grabbed his wrist and pushed it away but moment later he used his hands to pull her into a deep hug. She could feel her chest tightening at the display of affection and she sighed in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Do not be.” Thane said reassuringly. “You have only made my life better.”

“Thane, I—“

“Wakey wakey!” The door was suddenly smashed open by a certain turian who she wanted to hit over the head with her shotgun. Both of them instantly separated but not without Shepard falling to the ground fashionably.

“Siha, are you alright?” Thane propped her up.

“What do you want, Garrus?” She glared a hole into her friend but thankful that she hadn’t stripped bare last night. She still had her crumpled shirt and panties on. It would be another story she was only clad in bra and trousers. Damn waist will get turians going all day.

“I could’ve interrupted at worse timing.” He shrugged nonchalantly and stepped inside the room. Without any guilt, he threw himself on the sofa. “Nihlus is coming in a few hours. He said he’s got something important to show me. Better pack up your stuff and be ready to leave. Also get dressed. Someone is dying to see you.”

The human inhaled deeply, now grateful for Garrus’s presence. If Kolyat was to see them like that, she could only imagine what would go down. Straight after both of them got fully dressed, the other drell entered the room but not without glaring at his father.

“Kolyat, good morning.” Thane greeted but was ignored with a scoff.

“Shepard.” He smiled but the human didn’t return the same gesture, crossing her arms instead, foot tapping impatiently on the ground. The taller drell could only scowl as he looked at Thane and mumbled half-heartedly. “Mornin’.”

“Better.” Her smile grew and she tapped him on the shoulder. “Where’s Feron?”

“Bastard probably sneaked out in the middle of the night. He’s nowhere to be found now. His stuff is gone as well.” Garrus said.

“He could’ve said goodbye.” She rolled her eyes but silently wishing the best for him. She was sure that they would meet again one day.

It wasn’t a long wait until Garrus received a call from Nihlus informing that he arrived in the docking bay already. They then made their way there, Shepard’s heart hammering. And once they reached their destination, Garrus emerged first along with Thane. The human and the other drell remained hidden from sight though she could still hear their conversation.

“Vakarian!” The spectre said. “I’m glad you decided to go back. And you too, Krios.”

“Pleasure to see you again, sir.” He bowed politely which was replied with a firm nod.

“So… what is this thing you want to show me?”

Nihlus booted up his omnitool and brought up a screen that showed a holo of a worn gun. “I dug up information about Shepard. I… regretfully wasn’t able to find her body but…”

“No need, sir.” His mandibles flutter in humour and Nihlus was evidently surprised by the drastic change in attitude. “After all I’ve got the real deal here.”

That was her cue to come out. So she did. And the poor turian’s jaw fell open. “You…” He started. “You! You _are_ Shepard!” He practically charged into her and took her into a crushing hug. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around like a kid. Nihlus said nothing but he bumped his forehead against hers softly for a few moment. “Spirits…” He whispered. “I can’t believe this, Jane…”

After a while he let go and set her nicely on the metal floor. Kolyat was giving him a less-than-pleased look and Shepard found her eyes going to Thane whose expression remained passive. Nihlus looked at the younger drell for a long while before she visibly saw him wince and averted his eyes.

Not too long after that, the spectre’s head turned around to face Thane and neither relented. Their eyes were intense as if locked in a staring match and Shepard couldn’t help but question what the hell was going on. Even Garrus was looking a little uncomfortable.

There was a loud sigh from Nihlus and he finally broke the eye contact. Before she could ask what that was about, he cut her off. “Don’t ask, Jane.”

‘ _Subharmonic battle, probably._ ’ She told herself.

They then boarded Nihlus’s ship and Shepard recited the story of her survival starting from how she was spaced and how exactly she managed to stay alive until Feron found her. Then she also told him regarding the whole scenario with Kolyat which was followed with a comprehensive nod.

“Then it was you I saw in Citadel?”

“Yep, that was me.” She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable recalling what she must’ve seem like. “Don’t worry. I didn’t actually hit him or anything. He’s just a great actor.”

“Your attempt to be discreet is understandable but… I’m still a little hurt you never bothered to contact me afterwards. Just a little ‘hey Nihlus guess what I’m alive’ would be good. At least I don’t have to send anyone to scout around Argos Rho to find your remains.”

She only chuckled at the accusation.

“I’m glad to see you again.”

“And so am I.” She smiled. “How’s the rest of the crew? Are they okay?”

“Everyone’s still mourning for you. You really should give them a word. You’ve got no idea how affected everyone is.” He tapped her on the back.

“Thanks, bad boy.” She grinned and she felt a talon reaching for her shoulder to pull her in an embrace. Under normal circumstances, she would just laugh and perhaps return the affection but it just wasn’t right this time. She was no longer alone. “Nihlus, please.” She nudged his hand with her shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” His mandibles tightened to show concern.

“I’m…” She stalled, not knowing whether to break the news or not. “Just not this time. And before you ask, yes I’m fine.”

“Alright.” He looked at her sceptically but decided to let the matter go.

“Shepard?” As if on cue, Thane popped into the lounge since the door was wide open. “Am I bothering you?” He cocked his head to the side, hands holding two cups of steamy liquid.

“Oh, tea!” She hummed and stood up to grab one that she suspected was for her. “Is this for me?” She asked a little too late.

“Yes.” The drell chuckled humorously before turning his attention on the turian spectre sitting down not too far away. “Would you like a cup as well, sir?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” He lifted his hand up briefly. “Jane, you _hate_ teas.”

“I don’t hate them, thank you very much. You know me. Drama queen.” She said while sipping the hot liquid and blowing the steam away. “But sere Krios right here makes kickass teas. I’m in love.”

“I will be gravely wounded if you come to care for my tea better than you do me.”

“You know that’d never happen.” She chuckled at the mischievous tone but couldn’t stop heat from swirling in her cheeks.

The drell turned to walk away but not without nodding and showcasing a small smirk on the corner of his lips that turned Shepard’s legs into jelly. After he completely disappeared, she let out a dreamy sigh, forgetting all about one very observant turian sitting behind her.

“I know that look.”

Her shoulders tensed at the noise. “W-what look?”

“That ‘I’m so in love’ look you have a few moment ago.” He chuckled. “A drell, Shep? Do you know how much drama that will cause?”

“I know, I know…” She sighed, leaning on the wall while holding the warm cup in her palms. “You know me, Nihlus. I _hate_ being chased down by reporters. You’d think I’d avoid things like this at all cost. But when it comes to him, I…”

“Can’t keep your hand to yourself.” He laughed again. Then he stood up and approached the human, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Jane. I truly am.”

“Thanks, Nihlus.” She smiled at the sincerity of his words and put her hand above his. “I feel ridiculous. Whenever I’m with him it’s like I’m 15 again.”

“I thought you were busy blowing things up even when you were 15?” He chuckled full of mirth.

“Blowing things up _with_ my crush. There’s a big difference there.” Both of them laughed.

“Well, guess you’re off-limit now.” Nihlus’s mandibles fluttered and Shepard smiled while looking at the brown liquid inside the cup she was holding. “There’s that face again. It’s disgusting.”

“Leave me alone!” Her face turned red at her friend’s remark. She was starting to wonder if she would ever manage to act like Commander Shepard near Thane, _ever_.

**Thane Krios**

Nihlus Kryik.

Thane tried to maintain his best poker face as the spectre ran and twirled Shepard around before bumping their foreheads together in a turian equivalent of a kiss. Both of them needed it, he assured himself. They had been so close together and haven’t met each other for a long while so a reunion was in order. He didn’t want to start being possessive.

Kolyat, in contrary, wasn’t doing such a good job at concealing his emotion as he let out a loud trill of displeasure. The anger and jealous clear in the noise that Nihlus found himself looking at the boy. The younger drell glared at the spectre although soon he could hear an intimidating subharmonic from Nihlus’s throat that made his son flinch. At that, Thane intentionally rumbled deep to express his warning, making him turn around and their eyes were locked intensely. Series of irritated noises that couldn’t be heard by human ears filled the air that even the snarky Garrus didn’t comment on it. But thankfully nothing beyond that happened.

Though if Nihlus thought he could make him take a step back by using subharmonic alone, he was wrong

The trip didn’t take more than a day and they soon arrived at Citadel. Shepard still refused to face the council but did informed the rest of the Normandy crews that she was close with that she was alive and kicking. All of them were ecstatic at the news although not without sulking, hurt that Shepard never bothered to tell them. Joker seemed especially bothered by it as he kept spouting sarcasm.

The apartment that Shepard lived in was still under her name, no one dared to touch her belongings. Nihlus confessed that he came close to packing everything up but decided against it. No one wanted to admit that Shepard was truly gone. But nevertheless it was awfully dirty that Nihlus had to hire cleaners. So they had to stay in a temporary residence for a few days until they finished renovating and cleaning her unit.

Then on the seventh day, they were informed that it was ready. They immediately packed their belongings and made their way to the apartment. Although everything was still on its original location, he could tell that they changed the flooring and renewed the ventilation. There were also some additional security measures installed.

“We need one more bedroom for Kolyat…” The human commander said while lying down on her bed. Thane sat down next to her and she moved to place her head on his lap. The younger drell was away with Garrus to fetch new omnitool and she was glad for his absence. He had been crowding her in Nihlus’s ship. “This place is too small for three.”

“That and he is bound to find out about our relationship sooner if he stays here.” He said, hand idly stroking her hair. “Although I would love to share a room with him, I fear that we are not yet ready for such closeness.”

“Take it one step at a time, Thane. In the meantime, I’ll try to get in touch with the hanar scientists I met a few months ago to see if they’ve made any breakthrough for Kepral’s.” She took the balm that Thane placed on the nightstand and opened the lid.

“I can do it myself, siha.”

“Let me.” She insisted. The drell nodded and he unclasped his leather just enough so his chest was exposed. “How much?”

“Just put it on your index finger like this.” He demonstrated and she complied. After getting a good amount, she started to rub it on his scaly skin while humming. Then she chuckled. “What is it, siha?”

“Remember the last time we’re here? You called me ‘mistress’, for god’s sake.”

“I can revert back if you’d like,” He cupped her cheek and tilted her head up so eyes met eyes. Then with low voice, he whispered, “mistress.”

Shepard’s face turned beet red at the remark and she pursed her lips. “That’s _unfair_.”

“I’m back.” A voice echoed from the entrance, making the two snap their heads to the source purely on reflex. “What—What are you two doing?!” Kolyat’s frills expanded at the sight of his father bare-chested and Shepard running her hand all over it.

Thane could vividly hear the rumble that came out of his throat. It was halfway embarrassment and anger. Before he could say anything however, Shepard started.

“I’m just applying lotion.” She said nonchalantly, retracting her hand.

“He’s _perfectly_ capable of doing that. Why are you helping him?” His voice was sharp and the human inhaled deeply. “And you… you should be ashamed! You’re letting someone who’s not your wife to touch you so intimately!”

“Kolyat, please.” Thane replied, trying to calm his son down.

“ _Stop_ that.” Shepard snapped and the boy visibly flinched. “You’re being disrespectful, Kolyat. You have no right to say that to your dad.”

“I have all the right to!” He spat back, hands clenched tightly into fists. “This man turned his back on his own family! He should be ashamed that he’s letting someone else touch him like that!”

Shepard abruptly moved from the bed and in that instant Thane knew exactly what she wanted to do. He quickly grabbed her hand to restrain her but she brushed him off. Her eyes started to glow red, something that he knew only happened when she was furious.

“Shepard, no.” He whispered but the woman didn’t listen to him. “Shepard.” He said once more, grabbing her shoulder. She looked back and he shook his head. She finally relented.

“Don’t talk to your dad like that, Kolyat.” She said sternly but the boy said nothing. He looked away from her.

After that the situation became bitter—no one said anything for an hour or so. Even during dinner together, Kolyat refused to look at Thane. He focused on his plate, washed the dish and sat on the sofa with his arms crossed. Shepard left the apartment, saying that she’d buy a cot for one of them. The other had to sleep on the sofa until she purchased a new, bigger apartment.

After she left, thing turned even sourer. Thane could hear the irritation in his son’s subharmonic as he looked at the wall continuously.

“Kolyat?” He started, taking a seat on the far end of the sofa from where he was sitting.

“What?” The boy responded sharply. “Here to dump a speech again?”

“No. I just would like to apologise.” He said, clasping his hands and placing them on his lap. “I know I do not deserve to be called a father but I would do anything to attain your forgiveness. I apologise for not coming for you sooner.”

“Blah, blah, blah.” He mocked, tightening his crossed arms even more. “Whatever. It’s too late now.”

Thane’s heart constricted inside his chest at the coldness of his tone. He had said sorry a thousand times but it just seemed like he was nowhere near reconciliation. But he had nothing else to offer aside from words of apology. “I hope you will find it in you to forgive me one day, Kolyat.” He whispered, not realising that he let out a small mourning trill that his son could catch clearly. It wasn’t until his shoulders jolted that Thane noticed the noise he had been making.

But then he could see Kolyat’s relaxing as he uncrossed his arms. Although he still refused to look at him, it looked like he had calmed down significantly.

Then it clicked.

Thane had been supressing any hint of subharmonic when he they conversed and Kolyat probably thought that he wasn’t being sincere. The noise drells made was produced by reflex. It would take a long, repetitive training for them to be able to conceal it and he probably didn’t know that it could be hidden at all. However, it had been a second nature for him to bury fluctuation in his expression and subharmonic so deep that he never noticed that he had not been using it when talking with him.

“So you _are_ capable of emotion.” Kolyat muttered grumpily.

“I do apologise. I have been trained to keep my subharmonic hidden. Know that there is truth in everything I have said to you.” When the boy said nothing, Thane inhaled. “I have mourned for your mother for over a decade. Please don’t think that I will ever forget her.”

“Do you have anything going on with Shepard?” Came the dreaded question—much sooner than he anticipated.

“I…” He stammered, unsure of what to say. It wouldn’t be right to lie to him as it would give him false hope but telling the truth now would be rather unsavoury too.

“You like her, don’t you?” The drell looked at him with displeased eyes while producing a deep rumble.

“Kolyat—“

“It must be nice huh, being a big bad assassin with honey-coated speech.”

“Please.” He said. “There is nothing going on between us.” Thane gritted his teeth although face remained completely devoid of any emotion as he lied.

“Do you swear?”

“Yo.” Shepard suddenly popped from the door and the drell let out a relieved sigh at her timely entry. “I got a really cute Blasto bed. I think you’d absolutely love it, Kol.” She grinned as the delivery man pushed a relatively thin navy blue mattress, adorned with pattern of a hanar holding a pistol. “Thane, did you know he absolutely loves Blasto? I swear his eyes were glued to the screen when I watched it with him.”

“That movie is… fascinating.” He carefully chose his word, making Shepard chuckle.

“You don’t like it, huh? Guess you get to sleep on the sofa.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Shepard.” The teal-scaled drell cut her off. “Are you together with Thane?”

“What?” She frowned at the question that came out of the blue and seemed to be a little thoughtful before she answered. “Why do you want to know?”

“I just want to!” He insisted, half-heartedly glaring at the commander but it just came across as a pout.

Shepard stepped forward and landed a playful chop on his head. “Nosy.” She grinned at Kolyat’s yelp of surprise. “Does it _look_ like we’re together?”

Reverse psychology. Thane couldn’t help a small smile from developing. Kolyat would want to believe that they had nothing between them without Shepard’s influence. After all, that question was usually answered with a ‘no’ but in this case she was merely hiding the ‘yes’.

“Well… you guys slept in the same room! And then you went all touchy-feely…”

“Does that explicitly say that we’re together?” The confident smirk that was on her lips was almost laughable. It must’ve been one of her manipulative faces that she used when she wanted to persuade someone. He heard that she was an excellent negotiator and that she convinced Saren to shoot himself.

“…No. I guess.” Kolyat crossed his arms, frills expanding slightly in embarrassment.

She grinned at the response and changed the topic. “Right! Your Blasto bed!”

“I’m not 6, Shepard.” Kolyat complained.

“You can be 20 and still enjoy Blasto.” She shrugged nonchalantly and the two immediately were locked in a friendly argument. But Thane could tell that both of them enjoyed the banter so he chose not to interfere.

Odd as it may be, watching them like that made him think that Shepard would make a great mother. Well, alright, maybe not for toddlers, but towards adolescents. She was carefree and accepting—she never judged. He fell into a deep contemplation about the possibility of interracial species having a baby. It was unheard of except for asari but he couldn’t help wondering. Of course he wouldn’t propose it to her _now._ Their relationship was still newly established—merely one week old and not to mention the fact that pregnancy would greatly hinder her occupation. But perhaps one day.

“Then we’re going to watch Blasto! Thane, you too!” She whipped out an episode from her omnitool and put it on the TV screen, Kolyat was still rather embarrassed to have his interest spilled that way. “Episode 52: Research Museum.”

“I have to say, that episode is a _terrible_ choice, siha.”

Shepard laughed musically although the two drells became eerily silent. Thane noticed what he just said in front of Kolyat and he just hoped that he wouldn’t understand its significance.

“Siha?” The younger drell turned his head, eyes full of betrayal. He knew. He knew what it meant. “ _Siha_? You called mother that!”

The green-scaled drell froze, not knowing what to say. He could try his luck. Perhaps Kolyat didn’t know the exact meaning of the term and he could make it up. In fact, that would be the best option.

“Why? Why do you call Shepard ‘siha’?” He snarled, voice turning more and more hostile. Shepard also didn’t know what to do as she turned her head towards him. “Shepard, why?” His voice was reduced into a croak when he looked at her.

“Kolyat, I can expla—“

“Don’t you even try to lie to me.” He snapped while glaring at Thane. “I’m not an idiot. I know what it means.” He stood up abruptly to face the two. “One of Arashu’s warrior-angels, wasn’t it? Mom explained it to me. She—“ Kolyat took a deep breath. “She said it with such pride! And now you go off calling other woman that? I—I can’t believe you!”

“It was a slip of tongue, I’m sure!” Shepard raised her voice.

“No. No it wasn’t. Not you too, Shepard, please don’t lie to me.”

“Kolyat. Your father wasn’t trying to replace his wife. He’s—“

“No!” He cried out, avoiding Shepard’s outstretched hand. “Stop lying! Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?! Why did you lie to me?! I’m—“ He choked back a whimper. “I’m so sick of people hiding the truth from me! Shepard, you promised me you’ll always be outright… so why?”

“I wanted to protect you, Kolyat.” She said desperately. “We planned on telling you when the time is right.”

“And when is that?! When this… _man_ completely forget about the woman that mattered the most for him?! When he forget the guilt that he should torture him until the end of his life?!”

A loud noise echoed in the room, silencing absolutely everyone.

“You are being ungrateful, Kolyat.” Shepard hissed, hand stinging from the aftereffect of hitting the boy. “Thane deserves to move on. Irikah wouldn’t want him to be tied down by her memories forever.”

“What do you know about mom?!” The drell screamed, tears dropping down his cheek. “None of you know anything! She kept hoping that you would rescue her. Her wish never faltered even when she did… But you never came for her. You don’t _deserve_ to be happy, Thane!”

His heart lurched at the harsh reality his son slapped onto his face and he could feel his stomach tightening. If there was one thing that would render him speechless, it was be talks about his family. And now Kolyat hit him right in the bull’s eye, he found himself unable to respond. All he could say was another apology which he knew would never be accepted.

“Kolyat, that’s ENOUGH!” Shepard yelled and as if in slow motion, he saw her retracting her hand to land a hit on his son once more.

But it never connected. Because he let himself take the blow instead. It was a powerful hit square to the chest that made him fell to the ground desperately trying to breathe in some air to no avail. His lungs constricted almost instantly and coughs escaped his lips.

“Gods, Thane—“ She stuttered when she realised what she had done. “Thane! Thane!” She grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him violently but he didn’t stop. The pain was excruciating. He failed to get the oxygen badly needed by his body and all he could do was cough out more and more air.

“Kolyat, help me! We need to take him to the hospital!” Shepard screamed out loud.

Thane’s vision blurred and he found himself unable to hear anything else as he fell unconscious. The last thing he saw was his son’s stunned expression and the feel of Shepard propping him up.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we're getting somewhere! (still has no idea how to end this story *sobs*)
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos/comments. They make me feel loved~ You people are amazing <3!!

**Jane Shepard**

Kolyat reminded Shepard of a 15 years old teenager in their rebellious phase. That was exactly why she didn’t want a kid. Originally she didn’t want to hit the boy and she had to admit that it was too reckless. No matter how furious she was, she shouldn’t resort to violence to someone who had already been exposed to a large amount of.

But she just couldn’t understand his anger. It was unreasonable. Okay, maybe she just didn’t get why he would be mad instead of happy that a family member who he thought was dead had been alive all along. But whatever his reason was, she just couldn’t stand someone putting such… such… _horrified_ expression Thane. He was a good man who seriously wanted to atone for the mistakes he made. She didn’t even need to guess to know that he had apologised to the boy a thousand times and that his speechlessness was merely him accepting what he considered as a blatant truth.

But he wasn’t a failure as a father, hell no. His love for his son and wife paralleled any other families or even surpassed them. And she could see how absolutely relieved he looked when he saw his son standing in front of him. She had _never_ seen him like that, in fact that was the only time she ever saw him openly showing what he felt without supressing a single thing. Then to have the very same boy turning back and starting to blame him for every predicament that happened in his life—that must’ve been gut-wrenching.

She didn’t know what else to say to him. So she decided that it was a smart idea to try to hit him once more. But she didn’t take into account the possibility of Thane jumping in front of him to take the blow, which he did. The uppercut that should’ve connected to Kolyat’s jaw made contact with Thane’s chest and she could feel herself jumping in surprise.

He fell to the ground, coughing and hacking like he did a few months ago and it tear her apart. It was her fault. She had to do something.

“Kolyat! Don’t just stand there like an idiot!” She screamed as she dragged him towards the door. He was heavy, much heavier than last time that she couldn’t walk as fast she wanted to.

The boy refused to move for the next few seconds, eyes wide open and mouth agape as if trying to comprehend what just happened. Then he jolted in surprise before moving to help Shepard, taking one of Thane’s arm around his neck. They made their way to the hospital as quickly as possible. The receptionist was the asari that she threatened a few months back on Thane’s first attack and the poor woman just scrambled and ushered them inside without a single word.

They arrived in a small room with a salarian and Thane was quickly placed on the bed. The doctor was near the door and suddenly she could see a slick pink tentacle rounding around the salarian’s throat and squeezed until he passed out.

“Commander Shepard.” It glowed illuminescent pink briefly as it entered, closing the door behind it. Making its way to Thane, it placed one tentacle on the drell’s chest, feeling his beating heart and breathing rate while others working to activate the oxygen machine next to it. It then hooked a mask, covering Thane’s mouth and nose with it.

“How is he?” She panicked.

The hanar ran some quick diagnosis which result could be seen on a monitor in the corner of the room. It brought up a holo of Thane’s lungs. “This one is concerned. This one thinks that he does not have much longer to live.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?!” Kolyat hissed, confusion vivid in his voice. “Shepard, what’s wrong with him?!”

“Kolyat…” She covered her face with her palms as she inhaled deeply. “Your father… he’s in his final stage of Kepral’s.”

The young drell’s scales turned pale at the confession and she could visibly see him staggering back a few steps. “No… There’s no way…” He looked at Thane’s vulnerable body and turned his attention back to Shepard to see if she was lying. But it was clear that she wasn’t. “Why didn’t you tell me?” With fists clenched tightly, his voice broke. “Why, Shepard?”

“You two just met again, dammit! There’s no way I’ll tell you that your father is dying! And besides… I… I thought he would want to tell you that himself.” She said bitterly, refusing to look at the boy.

“How long?” Kolyat asked weakly.

“This one thinks Thane Krios has two more months to live.” The hanar cut in although its appendages still focused on the device in front of him in an attempt of restabilising Thane’s condition. “Three at best.”

“That’s—“ The drell swallowed thickly, scales turning one shade paler. “Impossible. He can’t—“ His whole body trembled at the realisation that he was going to lose his only family member and Shepard immediately stepped forward to take the boy in her arms. “No…”

The human ran her hand soothingly on his back although she was not exactly the definition of serene. Two more months. Surely it couldn’t be true. “Kolyat, I…” She started before inhaling deeply. “Listen to me.” Shepard pushed him gently by holding both of his shoulders. “There is a way for him to survive. Only you can do it.”

Question pooled in his eyes as he looked at Shepard questioningly, body still visibly quivering.

“Your lung.” She said. “You can donor one of your lungs for him.”

The drell opened his eyes wide at the statement and he took a step back. “My lung?” He stammered in uncertainty. “That’s… Shepard, don’t tell me you—“ He stopped in the middle of the sentence at the dark look she gave him. “You only need my lung.” Tears grew in those dark onyx orbs of his. “You only came for my lung.” His voice was no more than a croak and Shepard found herself unable to say a thing. “You just want to save him, not me.”

“Kolyat, no… gods… please don’t think like that…” She reached out to him but he retracted his hand quickly.

“I— Shepard…” He took another step back while shaking his head in denial. “Is that all you need from me? My _lungs_?” Before she could say anything, Kolyat charged out of the door.

“Kolyat!” She yelled after him but the boy already disappeared from the corridor. Without thinking twice, Shepard ran after him, not wanting him to do anything foolish. Yes, what he said bugged her. She _did_ originally wanted Kolyat only to save Thane but overtime she came to care for the boy. He was childish and he threw tantrum whenever he didn’t get what he wanted. But she somehow thought that it was because he never grew up in an ideal environment where fulfilling childhood was within grasp.

His unreasonable anger towards his father… she didn’t think that it was genuine at all. Well, the screaming was real enough but it just seemed like all he wanted was Thane’s attention. If that wasn’t the case then he wouldn’t be as taken aback as he was when the news broke that his father only had a few months left to live. He would say the classic ‘he deserves it’ instead of trembling speechlessly.

But aside from that, she could see that she would be able to become good friends with Kolyat. Like Garrus, he had his snarky side and more often than once his playfulness brought smile to her face. Unlike his father’s dry sense of humour and suaveness, he was cheeky and naïve. Hats off to him. He was able to stay sane even after what he went through. The first month had been spent trying to make him open up to her and thankfully by the second, he had grown accustomed to her presence.

Then there was his romantic interest for her. Man, she couldn’t tell if he genuinely liked her or if it was only deep gratefulness and respect because she rescued him. But again, she had never been the best at that subject.

After a good thirty minutes trying to find the missing drell, she finally sighed exasperatedly. Shepard then asked Garrus if he could look for Kolyat but even after two hours, their search bear no fruit. Frankly, she was getting so worried her feet wouldn’t stop bouncing when she sat down.

“Gods. Where could he be?” She bit her nails impatiently. “He couldn’t have gone far, Garrus.”

“Just calm down, Jane. I’ve alerted some of my C-sec buddies to keep an eye out.” He said while checking on his omnitool. “But he should be fine. I mean, the kid can fight.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t bring his omnitool!” She groaned. “He can barely stab a watermelon without missing three times!”

“You mean that round fruit from Earth that weighs like a shotgun?”

“Yeah.”

Garrus looked down and seemed to be deep in thought before facing her again. “Does Thane’s skin looks like watermelon?”

“What the fuck, Garrus.”

“Sorry. Just curious question.” He immediately said. As if on cue, his omnitool beeped loudly. “Got a message. Someone saw Kolyat.”

“Where is he?!” She turned around keenly, waiting for more information.

“Uh-oh. That’s not good.” His mandibles tightened to show worry and Shepard blinked in concern. “He was forcibly taken by a couple of turians. Then he went silent—possibly drugged.” And before she could scream out ‘where’, he continued. “Last seen near Flux. If we’re fast we can catch them.”

They then charged at speed of lightning, not caring about how much noise they made. The most important one was Kolyat.

**Thane Krios**

He woke up two hours later after Shepard ran off. As soon as he caught the small peek of light behind his eyelids, he knew that he was in the hospital. The first thing he noticed was oxygen mask and that his chest was throbbing in pain. His hand moved to yank away the object on his face but he was stopped by a familiar silky feel on his wrist. The hanar glowed blue briefly and that was enough to make him stop.

“Zephyros.” He addressed and it released its grip. Though people tend to say that it was difficult to distinguish the said species, it was quite simple for drells whose memory was perfect.

“This one advises that Thane Krios remains.” It spoke flatly. “Although this one is aware that Kolyat Krios had charged out of the room in tears. This one thinks that it would be wrong to hide this.”

“Kolyat. What happened to him?” Thane immediately tensed. He hoped his son wouldn’t do anything that would endanger his life. “And where’s Shepard?”

“This one saw what happened. Kolyat Krios seemed betrayed that Commander Shepard only rescued him for his lungs.” It continued and the drell ripped away all the devices that were connected to his body but not without a protest from the hanar. He ignored all the warnings and ran out of the door although chest constricting painfully.

That was untrue, he said to himself. Shepard saw Kolyat as much more than a sacrificial pawn used only to cure him although her original motive was exactly that. But he could tell that she sincerely enjoyed his company.

With strained breathing, he started to scout for any hints regarding his son and was fortunate enough to hear a turian recording a message for someone familiar.

“Vakarian, sir. I spotted a drell being captured by two turians on the CCTV, who then, presumably drugged him into a state of unconsciousness. They were last seen on Flux’s entrance five minutes ago. I can’t abandon my post but I thought I’d pass on the information.”

Thane moved again along the walkway on the top to prevent anyone from spotting him. His eyes could see clearly despite the darkness and he thanked the hanar for modifying his optical ability. However, after ten minutes of utter silence and no sign of Kolyat, he found himself on a quiet part of Citadel, Thane could hear shuffling noise from behind him.

He stopped on his track to draw whoever it was out and patience was rewarded with the distinct chime of pistol. Before the assailant could place it against his head, Thane turned around and pushed the owner’s hand to the breaking limit.

“Address yourself.” He stated, eyes expressionless but when no response was made, Thane understood that the asari in front of him did not have a translator installed. It was a problem. He didn’t have time to waste on this frivolities but if the woman knew anything about Kolyat, he needed to extract all the info he could get.

But when her lips tugged to form a small smirk, he realised he made a big mistake. Just as soon as he disarmed her and pushed her off the ledge, a gunshot rang from behind him, grazing him on the upper shoulder. It was a mighty good thing that whoever decided to shoot the gun didn’t have an impeccable aim.

He sidestepped into the shadow and disappeared from sight as he continued to observe.

“Come out, drell! We know you’re there!” A turian snarled with a gun on his hand. “I have your stupid son!” He screamed once more and Thane could hear the pathetic whimper coming out of Kolyat’s throat. Instantly, his heart sped up. He was held captive by another turian, neck locked tightly with his armour-covered arm. “Come out or I’ll shoot him!”

Kolyat’s subharmonic wavered again and Thane couldn’t stand the noise. Without thinking twice he jumped out of the cover and landed in front of the turian.

“Let go of him.” He hissed.

“Like hell! The two of you destroyed one of my groups and now you want me to let go of him?!” The opponent bellowed in fury. Then Thane realised that the man must’ve been the higher-up of the one he killed back in Omega and he wanted revenge. He aimed to the ground on Thane’s feet and pulled the trigger, producing a loud noise. Kolyat tensed at the sound and his whimpers became louder.

The older drell felt his gut twisting wildly in his stomach at the rumble that his son was making. It was his damn fault, it always was. Now they have Kolyat because of him. If he was hurt then it would all be on him.

There must be a way around it, he thought. But no matter what his brain churned out, he couldn’t find any alternative. They were in the middle of nowhere. One of the foes had a gun pointed at him and the other at Kolyat. If he dared to move his son would suffer the consequence but if he didn’t, he would die.

The gunshot. Someone must’ve heard the gunshot. He silently prayed that a distraction would present itself so he could move for the kill. But even after a long silence, not a footstep could be detected. Thane sighed in resignation as he lifted both of his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Kill me.” He said calmly. “You can kill me, but let go of him. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into.”

“You think you’re in any position to make demands?!” The turian screeched deafeningly, gesturing at the other to hit the boy on the head using the butt of his pistol. Kolyat trilled in pain at the contact and Thane found himself doing the same. He didn’t deserve any of it. “Drells are the lowest of the low! You lots don’t deserve _anyone_ listening to you at all!”

“You’re wrong.” Thane denied with his hands still on the air. “The one that is the most despicable, the lowest of the low, is you. It’s you who decides that you are eminent enough to dictate which species deserves prejudice and which does not. The mistake of one generation does not define the next.”

“You dare insult me?!” He yelled out, aiming the gun at Thane but he didn’t waver. “There’s no one of importance left that gives two shits about your rights!”

“There is one.” He said. “Commander Jane Shepard.”

As if on cue, the other turian’s head exploded in blue blood and Kolyat screamed in surprise. The other assailant turned to him and frantically pointed his pistol.

“Kolyat!” Thane screamed when he pulled the trigger.

**Jane Shepard**

A lot of people noticed the gunshot that rang from the other side of the Citadel although most chose to ignore it. Shepard however, couldn’t put her head down and suck on her thumb because it might be Kolyat who was in danger. With a heart full of concern, she ran faster than before with Garrus following behind her. He held his sniper rifle tightly in his hands.

“Please be okay, Kolyat. God.” She chanted like it was a mantra but the turian didn’t comment on it. He was equally worried about the boy’s well-being after being told the entire story of what went down in the hospital.

Turians have long legs so they were able to run faster and she was sure that he would outrun her had she not have extensive implants installed inside her.

“Jane, look.” Garrus whispered, pointing at four people in the secluded alley. It was unmistakably Kolyat being held captive by two turians. And in front of them…

“Oh no… Thane. He’s in danger.” She said, knowing full well what would happen to one of them if she decided to break her cover recklessly.

“We’ll have to rely on Thane’s reflex on this. You’ve got no weapon.”

“I’ve got my biotic.” Shepard complained softly.

“Your biotic that can destroy a warship. Kolyat’s got no barrier. He’ll get seriously injured if he’s caught in the field.” Garrus said once more, this time looking into his scope to aim for one of the turian’s heads.

Shepard knew better than to doubt Garrus’s marksmanship but at that moment she just prayed to whatever gods happened to be listening anyway. Better safe than sorry. She couldn’t afford any of them getting hurt.

BAM!

The head of one of the assailant exploded magnificently like a firework. She could see the significant delay in Thane’s reaction, possibly due to the pain he was experiencing and she silently cursed herself for being reckless back there. The turian lifted his pistol, pointed it at Kolyat and pulled the trigger in one flush movement.

“KOLYAT!” Shepard screamed out so did the addressed drell. Right after the gun was fired, the man in charge of the weapon fell to the ground, blood spilling out of his head. Beside her, Garrus holstered his gun and froze when he realised what was happening.

Instead of Kolyat writhing in pain, it was Thane. He jumped in at the last second and took the shot.

“Thane... Thane!” She panicked as she ran towards them, followed by Garrus.

“W-why?” Kolyat croaked at the sight. His father was on his lap. The bullet dove straight into his stomach, spilling red liquid all over his hand. “Why?” He repeated. “Why did you jump in?!”

“My time is short, my son.” Thane coughed, blood spluttered from his mouth. “I would rather die protecting those I love rather than lie helplessly in a hospital.” The smile that he pulled was blinding. Instead of pain, she could see nothing but happiness. “I’ve taken many bad things out of this world. But you’re the only good thing I ever added to it.”

“No! You can’t leave me!” He screamed out, shaking Thane violently. “Not again! You don’t get to leave again!”

Shepard dropped to her knees and grabbed the barely-conscious drell by the arm. Although she wanted to cry like the boy, the only way he would recover was to take him to the hospital. “Come on, Kolyat! We have to get him treated!”

He wiped the tears from his eyes quickly and helped Shepard carrying his father. They ran as quickly as they could back to the facility, ignoring the stares they attracted. Once they arrived, the exact same asari had a horrified look on her face as she once again ushered them inside. A salarian with white apparel stood, tapping on his chin lightly.

“Commander Shepard.” He said. “And a drell. Gunshot wound?” When they lifted him up to the bed, he immediately set for work. He ran a quick analysis to get a general idea of his heartbeat and pulled it up on the monitor. “Need to extract bullet. Need drell blood. Another drell? Perfect. Family member?”

“I’m… his son.” Kolyat stammered.

“Excellent. Will arrange transfusion right away. This way.” He took Kolyat into another room where he lied down on the bed and the salarian poked a needle underneath his skin with such agility that she could barely make out what he was doing. Then he activated the small machine next to the bed and red blood started to be pumped into the small sack. “Patient not doing good. Final stage of Kepral’s Syndrome. Blood unable to absorb enough oxygen.” The doctor inhaled. “And he lost a lot. Chance of surviving, thin.”

Shepard was quite surprised that she didn’t have to put a gun against anyone’s head to get their asses moving. It was a nice change. “I’ll pay any amount. Please save him.”

“Will try my best.” He smiled. “Apologies. Haven’t introduced myself. Mordin Solus.”

“Nice to meet you, doctor. And you already know who I am.” She said, shaking his hand while Garrus introduced himself.

Mordin then turned off the machine once he accumulated enough blood and instructed Kolyat to eat some fruits that was stored inside a small fridge in the corner of the room but he shook his head.

“I… He—“ The drell trailed off. “Will he survive?”

“Will try my best.” The salarian repeated what he just said to Shepard. “Even if successful, he lost too much blood. Will need to remain in the hospital. This is temporary solution.”

“Is it because of his Kepral’s?” Kolyat asked weakly while still lying on the mattress. “If his lungs work properly, will he survive?”

“Definitely. One functioning lung alone can prolong his life expectancy. But this too, temporary solution. Cancerous cell will continue to mutate and metastasise. Will infect the healthy lung eventually. Drells rare. No stock. Any possible candidate you know of?”

“You’re looking at him.” The drell croaked and Shepard blinked. Did he just volunteer? Did he just volunteer to give away his lung? “Take what you need from me. Just… don’t let him die. Please.”

“Kolyat… are you sure? Y-you don’t have to do this.” Shepard rubbed his hand soothingly. “And your dad definitely won’t approve.”

“I’ve never listened to him. There’s no reason why I should start now.” He chuckled but humor absent from his tone. It was obvious that Thane’s condition affected him as badly as it did Shepard. “Besides… it’s my fault that he’s like this now. He’s an idiot…” Kolyat choked back a sniffle.

Shepard couldn’t help a smile from blooming on her lips as she took the boy into her arms and squeezing him tightly. She didn’t have any word that could express her gratitude for his selfless action so she said nothing. Kolyat also didn’t seem to mind the silence.

“Will need to prepare for surgery now.” Mordin cut in, looking at his omnitool. A couple of asari came into the room to transfer Thane into a proper room. “No distraction. Wait outside.” He said with his back turned on Shepard and Garrus, then he walked into the room.

“You okay, Shep?” The turian asked softly and the human nodded.

“Yeah. There’s just… too much going on.” She scratched the back of her head. “And that salarian doctor…” She looked at the door. “He seems like he knows a great deal about Kepral’s, the way he goes on and on.”

“Yeah, we’ll ask him all about it after the surgery is finished.” He tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “And I take it I can’t convince you to go home unless I haul you like, ah, what do you humans call it? A sack of potato?”

“Nihlus’s favourite simile, I believe.” She chuckled. “And you’re right, Sherlock. I’m not moving from here.”

Like hell she would! She had a thousand question to throw at the salarian doctor about Thane’s condition and more about Kepral’s. The surgery went on for a few hours and the second the door was opened, she stood up.

Mordin looked at her and smiled. “Surgery a success. Patient stabilising.” At that, she sighed in relief. “Kepral can be inherited from parents. Had to do a simple check-up on his son. Wonderful news that he didn’t have the gene. Still need to be careful. No prolonged exposure to moisture.” He inhaled. “Life with one lung. Should be normal. Will become fatigued easily so don’t overstrain. Weekly check-up required to make sure Kepral’s not spreading at an alarming rate.”

“You seem like you know a lot about Kepral’s, doc.” Shepard started. “And you know that lung transplant can be done if it’s from an immediate family member.”

“Have done a lot of research on the side. _Fascinating_ illness. Drells also fascinating.” He smiled.

“On the _side_?” She cocked one of her eyebrows. “But not even the hanar can make a progress and they’ve looked into it for god knows how long!”

“Hanar. Not the best scientists. Salarian, yes. Had opportunity to get tissue samples from Kepral’s sufferers and compared it to healthy tissues. Artificial lungs unreliable. Drells immune system too strong. Most likely will be rejected. Can cause allergic reaction.”

“Then… can it be cured?” She asked, mind suddenly filled with hope.

“With more research, perhaps. But not me. No time. Researching for something else.” He tapped his chin impatiently.

“I’ll pay.” She said. “I’ll pay you any amount.”

“No. Don’t need money. Current work solely based on conscience. Cannot disclose details.” Mordin looked at her and inhaled. “Patient, someone dear?”

“God yes.” She said immediately. “I’ll do anything to see him cured.”

“Human and drell. Fascinating! Not much heard of this copulation before! Keen to know more! Any allergic reaction from swallowing? High intoxication from skin oil? Mild or severe hallucination?” He continued at a crazy pace that Shepard found herself overwhelmed.

“One at a time, doc!” She retorted. “I’ll let you prod into the gory details if you’d try to get a cure.”

“Problematic.” He said. “Hanar already attempted research, yes? Put me in contact with them. Subject is of a great interest. Will benefit both party. Will try to divide my time but cannot promise. Have to ask. Why drell?”

Shepard shrugged nonchalantly. “Does it matter?”

“No, no. Of course not. Weird to see drells not treated like slave. Change of scenery.” He smiled, taking a deep breath. “Not a bad one.”

“Thank you, Mordin.” She replied gratefully.

“Need you to do something in return. Samples of Krogan blood. Male, female. A lot. Samples of Tuchanka soil and vegetations as well.” The salarian paced back and forth. “Cannot go to their homeworld without rousing suspicion. Favour will greatly assist research.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Shepard extended her hand which was firmly gripped by the salarian. “Thanks, doc.”

“Happy to help, Commander.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother made me sit down and watch a tango-dance video yesterday. Now I really want Shepard and Thane to dance tango...
> 
> As always, thank you for your support!! <3 Here's another chapter. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

**Thane Krios**

Pitch black. Not even his modified eyes could make sense of anything. However he found himself lulled to move forward, as if his feet had a mind of its own. So he wandered in the darkness with, trusting his senses. Weirdly enough his adrenalin was on an all-time low as he felt serene for the first time in a while.

Then he heard the distinct noise of waves in the ocean. It pulled him closer, his feet moved faster.

 _‘This is it.’_ He thought to himself. _‘I am home.’_

At the end of the cave was a glimmer of light and he approached it, eyes adjusting to the sudden change in brightness. He was greeted with a breathtaking view of the shore where the sand was pure white and water aqua blue. However his feet stopped moving. He couldn’t advance no matter how hard he tried.

“Not yet, my love.” The voice that he loved the most echoed inside his ear and he snapped his head up to see an image—no, his wife. Irikah. “It’s not yet your time.” Her smile was as pure as he remembered it to be and he found himself reminiscing on how many times it had saved him.

She extended her hand and placed it on his cheek just above his frills. Thane found himself leaning against her scaled hand although he could feel nothing, merely using muscle memory to react. “I have missed you, my siha.”

“And I missed you, my dear.” Her voice was tender but strong with resolve. It was the one tone she would use to persuade him to do something. “But you have another waiting for your return. You must go to her.”

“Tell me, my siha. Is it the correct decision?” He whispered as he looked into her soothing eyes. “Am I disrespecting you by harbouring feelings for another?”

“Arashu is kind enough to bless you with a second siha. She woke you up from your battle sleep; she saved you from your premature return to the shore. The fact that you did not wake in this realm is because it is not yet your time. You must return.” She smiled. “You are not dishonouring me by loving another.”

“My life expectancy is not very long. Am I selfish for wanting her and possibly cause her grieve when I pass?”

“Make the most of the time you have left. I will wait for you here. Always. And perhaps if her heaven and ours are the same, you might be able to meet her again too.” Thane smiled and let out a small relieved sigh. “She is a beautiful woman, your Jane.”

“Very.” The male said with voice that was not lacking in adoration. “And powerful. I feel… unworthy.”

“She wouldn’t want you to feel that way.” Irikah reassured himself and he believed her. She would never lie. “Now go.” He nodded sadly but finally nodded. “Take care of Kolyat.”

“I will.” He said, then the world turned pitch black once more.

Thane eased himself before doing anything. His eyes slowly opened, fingers twitching against another and he turned to face the side. Shepard was inside the room, fast asleep with her hand holding his. Her grip was powerful despite being unconscious and Thane found himself smiling.

He then turned the other way and had to supress a gasp when he saw Kolyat lying on another mattress and he involuntarily tugged his hand, in turn waking Shepard up.

“Siha, what happened?” He questioned immediately when she gave him a sleepy smile. “Why is Kolyat here? Did he—“

“No. Nothing happened to him. I mean, yeah something _did_ happen but not… whatever it is you have in mind right now.” She stammered, unsure of how to inform Thane. When he said nothing but look at her, she sighed. “Kolyat, he…” Gulp. “…He gave one of his lungs for you.”

Thane felt like his stomach had been hit by a sledgehammer. He blinked while keeping his eyes on Shepard who was actively avoiding his glance. She wasn’t lying, just nervous, which meant that she was telling the truth. He didn’t know what this revelation meant for him and Kolyat but all he knew was that he highly disapproved his reckless action.

The door suddenly was opened and entered a salarian. “Patient, awake! Wonderful!” He had a bright smile and immediately walked to the equipment next to him to grab a syringe. “Will need to take blood sample. See how the lung is doing. Also need to inject medication. Helps to slow down Kepral’s. Talked to the hanar. Prototype medicine ready. Willing to be a test subject?”

Thane inclined his head to the side at the doctor’s chirpiness and his confused look was rewarded with a soft chuckle from Shepard. “Doctor Mordin Solus.” She said. “He’s the one who did the surgery.”

Without warning, the needle entered Thane’s arm and came back out in lightning speed. He then moved to place the blood in a small container where he mixed it with more mysterious liquid.

“How are you doing?” Shepard gripped his hand tightly.

“I’m… well.” He said, taking a deep breath. Well was an understatement. It was probably the only good, non-forced breath he ever took. The oxygen allowed his chest to heave normally and mind clearer. “Although I don’t understand why Kolyat would do such thing. Why did you not stop him, siha?”

“He’s like me.” She laughed softly. “Can’t be stopped. Besides, neither of us could stand watching you… so helpless.”

He went silent for a moment to picture what she must be going through. If it was her who was in his position, he was sure that he wouldn’t stop anyone from doing what they want to help her. “Thank you, siha. I am blessed to have such wonderful people around me.”

She smiled, red tints developing on her puffed cheeks. Then their lips met briefly, followed with a shuffling noise from behind him.

“Lungs adapting nicely. Not being attacked by immune system. Still, recommend taking immunosuppressant.” When Thane looked to his left, he immediately said. “Your son, doing okay. Very brave. Willingness to cooperate, very touching.”

A few moments of silence later, Kolyat stirred and eyes finally opened. When he saw Thane and Shepard looking at him with warm eyes, he turned away but not without screaming in pain.

“Abrupt movement not advised. Will cause cramps.”

“Bit too late for that.” Kolyat groaned. After that, Mordin issued some prescriptions to be taken daily and assigned a weekly check-up for both drells. Shepard requested that she wanted him as the doctor and no one else which he replied with a smile.

“Mordin, if I may know… why exactly do you need me to get Krogan blood sample?” She cocked her head to the side.

The salarian seemed pensive for a few seconds but finally nodded. “Need Krogan tissues and soil condition of Tuchanka. Documenting the severity of Genophage. Will try to synthesise female’s DNA and extract original strain.” A deep intake of breath. “Trying to find cure for the Genophage.”

“ _What_?” Shepard gawked in surprise and Thane was sure that he was making quite a surprised face too. “You’re trying to do what?”

“Find a cure for the Genophage. Suffering gone long enough. Krogans don’t deserve any of this! Unethical!”

“Damn… Wrex would want to hear about this.” She muttered, putting her index finger on her chin thoughtfully. “A thousand times yes, doc. I’ll get it sorted as soon as I can. I’ll contact you through omnitool.”

Once they arrived back in the apartment, Thane took the initiative to talk to his son while Shepard busy thinking about what to cook for lunch.

“Kolyat,” He started but the boy refused to look at him. “Thank you.”

“Whatever.” The drell muttered although with no sign of hostility. If anything it was filled with embarrassment of being thanked. “Jumping in like that. How stupid are you?”

He smiled at the odd display of affection he showed and Thane couldn’t help walking forward and took the boy in a warm hug that made him jump briefly. “I will stop at nothing to ensure your safety, my son.”

“I only have one more lung, dad.” He scowled and Thane froze. He just called him ‘dad’.

“Yes, you do. Thank you, Kolyat. You are such a blessing.” He smiled, desperately fighting off the tears that threatened to flood his eyes.

The younger drell finally took the initiative to return Thane’s embrace and he whispered. “You never told me about your Kepral’s.”

“I apologise. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret.” He said. “I just didn’t want to seem like I’m blackmailing you into forgiving me.”

“ _Whatever_!” He scoffed although voice shaking. “You just better not die.”

“Thank you, Kolyat.” Thane whispered before withdrawing, revealing a very red drell.

“The Blasto bed is still mine.” He commented dryly, making his father chuckle. “Though you’d want to sleep with Shepard, don’t you? Just… just don’t start anything with me around, please.” He rumbled, frills expanding.

“Kolyat…” He trailed off, wondering if he heard correctly. Was that an implication that he approved of their relationship? What of his feelings towards Shepard?

“Don’t give me that look!” He raised his voice. “Just take care of each other, okay?” Then Kolyat glared a hole into Shepard that looked more like a pout than anything. “I’m not gonna start calling you mom or anything. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“You’re so _cute_!” Shepard squealed and leaped to take the drell in a crushing hug. “My baby boy!”

“No!” He protested and tried his best to shrug her off but she was much too overwhelming for him and he ended up being smothered in affection. After a long torturously tight hug Kolyat was experiencing, the three of them finally settled on the living room, watching movie together.

“Shepard, is the Broker still targeting you?” Thane asked in the middle of a particularly repetitive scene, genuinely worried about his siha’s safety. The news of her return must have spread like a wildfire now and he also found himself thinking of Feron and hoped that he was still safe out there.

“I’ve got a badass assassin as a guard. What have I got to fear?” She grinned while stuffing popcorn into her mouth. Next to her, Kolyat was delightfully sipping on a newfound delicacy called warm chocolate milk. It was his third glass of the night and Shepard joked that she would have to mug the staff in the human grocery shop for more.

Earlier in the evening, she sent a message to a companion of hers, named Urdnot Wrex. A krogan. She told him to contact her whenever he had the chance but obviously he had yet to read her message. Then they sat together to look for a new, bigger apartment that would be able to accommodate three people with at least two bedrooms.

That family moments warmed his heart. Never before he experienced something of that level. Most of his life he spent with vengeance-driven mind and so to be relieved of that was such a luxury for him. He smiled thinking of the first day he met Shepard. He never imagined that she would be such an enormous part of his life, his backbone, his siha.

“What are you smiling at?” The woman chuckled at the attention she was getting and Thane only shook his head. Somewhere in the background Kolyat whispered ‘gross’ that was rewarded with a playful chop on his head.

After they agreed on an apartment unit, they packed up the day after and moved. It was quite far away from the one they were currently living on so it proved to be quite a chore. Thankfully, drells’ wired muscles weren’t just for show. Thane and Kolyat were capable of handling the heavier objects along with the Krogan they hired to make the process much faster.

All three of them then went for a furniture shopping where Kolyat was given freedom to decorate his own room. Unsurprisingly, he picked everything that had shades of blue.

“Kolyat, stop with the blue stuff! I’m gonna have a hard time finding you in your own damn room.” Shepard complained when she saw him picking an aqua blue with cloud pattern for his curtain.

“Shall we get a body glue and glitter, siha?” Thane asked mischievously, pointing at the craft section of the store. “Perhaps some tracker?”

“I’m still gonna wear clothes in my room, thank you very much!” He scowled, eye ridges narrowing like they usually did. He insisted on that particular hue while Shepard and Thane only shared a small laughter.

They made their purchase then and Thane wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing that he was getting accustomed to the strange looks they harbour or not. Once they made their way to the skycar parking lot and arrived near their apartment, a bunch of reporters with their cameras were crowding the entrance.

Thane could hear Shepard swallowing thickly when one of them turned around and screamed, “COMMANDER SHEPARD!” Her face turned pale when all of them simultaneously jerked their heads backwards.

“Time to run!” She chuckled nervously, grabbing Kolyat and Thane’s hand, fleeing the scene as quickly as she could. Behind them, there were at least two hundred pairs of footsteps as well as blinding flashes of cameras. “If there’s anything I can’t obliterate, it’s them! I swear they breed like bunnies, squirting out a thousand of reporter babies.”

Thane didn’t understand the reference so he said nothing, instead trying to keep up with the pace. They were spouting incoherent sentences. All he could make out was ‘Commander’ and ‘Shepard’ and ‘Why’. But when he focused his ears, he understood what they were talking about.

“Commander Shepard! Why are you so intimate with a drell?!” “Commander, are you in a relationship with a _drell_?!” “Are you being blackmailed, Commander?!” “You can get anyone you want, so why drell?!” “Do you have no shame, Commander?!”

Thane’s heart shrunk at the piercing comments they made although didn’t show it. In front of him, Shepard activated her omnitool and screamed into the microphone application installed.

“Fuck off! Who I’m involved with is none of your goddamn business!”

He stifled a chuckle when she cursed at them. Typical Shepard. Most of people with power would never dare spit out a single rude word in order to keep their image clean and proper. But of course that didn’t apply to her. No matter how much she swore, most was smart enough to never comment on it. She was a soldier, not a politician. The crowd understood that much. And the fact that she saved Citadel must be one of the most influential factors too.

But despite her aggression, the arsenal of questions didn’t stop. Reporters were truly terrifying and persistent.

When they finally lose the crowd, they were a panting mess. Kolyat fell to the ground straightaway, skin turning oily due to the rigorous exercise. They stealthily made their way into their apartment, hoping that the paparazzi had yet to find out their exact residence.

“Shit. It’s 4. Just in time. The delivery guys should come soon.” She said when she looked at the time and come they did. It took a good three of hours for everything to be installed. Shepard gave them a handsome tip for being precise and not questioning her orders.

In the night, they ate dinner cooked by Thane in the spacious dining area and afterwards they withdrew to their rooms. Thane and Shepard were cuddled together on their large bed which was so much more comfortable comparing to the one they had. They were watching the news and he wasn’t surprised that the evening’s ruckus made its way into the channel.

“Commander Jane Shepard, the first human spectre was found with not one, but _two_ unleashed drells this afternoon. According to eyewitnesses, they were spotted holding hands secretly in a furniture store. As if this isn’t surprising enough, the other drell started to raise his voice at her. When questioned regarding the nature of their relationship, she did not deny the assumption—“ The channel was switched.

“Look at these people with nothing to talk about.” Shepard idly muttered inside Thane’s lap. The back of her head leaned against his chest, being extra wary to not suffocate him. The drell had his arms around her waist, wrapping her stomach in an embrace while chin rested on the top of her head. “Why is my private life so intriguing? They have so much better stuff to talk about.”

“Are you not bothered by it, siha?” He asked hesitantly. He wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t, but it had that effect for him. He didn’t want her reputation to be destroyed because of this. “Perhaps it would benefit you if we are a little more discreet.”

“No. Let them talk.” She said. “Let them see that their saviour finds comfort in the arms of a drell.” The human tilted her head back to land a kiss on his full lips and Thane felt a rumble escaping. He would never have enough of her sweet taste and the roughness of those lips. “Besides, if they know what that tongue can do, they won’t say a single thing.” She chuckled lowly, licking her lips seductively.

“It would be a little unseemly for me to go around Citadel, kissing everyone just to prove your point.” Thane smiled in humour.

“Yeah. I’m not a sharing type.” Shepard smirked before capturing his lips once more, this time in a deep kiss. Thane slipped his tongue inside her mouth to explore the cave which was rewarded with small moans and hitched breaths. He absolutely loved how helpless he could make her, and the fact that she allowed him to see her vulnerable side was quite flattering too.

Soon after, their clothes were removed until their skin could touch skin. Thane nibbled on her neck, trying to find the spot that would make her turn into putty in his hands. After a while, he found it just underneath her right ear. He attacked it mercilessly just like the fighter he was trained to be.

She was on top of him, desperately grinding against his cock to bring it to life—which she did a great job of. Proud of her handiwork, she kept rubbing her soaked core directly on top of him and rotated herself until he purred her name.

Shepard leaned in to kiss his chest, hand caressing his red folds and raking her nails over them gently until he could hear himself rumbling in pleasure. He could tell that she relished in that noise by the way her eyes glittered with pride. The human then lifted her hips, adjusting her position so she was flush against his throbbing member before pushing down, letting him enter her.

It was slow and sweet, like she was being extra mindful to not strain him after the surgery. Of course he could go faster, but it seemed like his siha was thoroughly enjoying it, so he played along.

She was hot around him like a volcano, and so very wet. He could hear the lewd squelching noise as she lifted her hips just to brought it back down, wanton moans echoed inside the room. _Their_ room. Never before he dreamed that he would find another after Irikah but here he was, with such an important symbol of humanity. It was almost strange how quickly they developed feelings for each other. Others might think that they were rushing it but the chemistry between them was too big to be left unattended for long.

Thane couldn’t help but lean forward to reward her for her stellar performance as he suckled on her nipples and occasionally nibbled on it. No doubt she enjoyed the attention they were getting from the way she wrapped around him even tighter.

They moved faster, drawing out more noise of desire from each other. It was like a competition for them, who could make the other moan louder won. But it was a shame that Thane had much more self-control in comparison to his siha. And also the fact that he found the sweet spot that made her scream out his name as she dug her nails on his back.

He continued to attack that spot relentlessly until she constricted around him like a snake refusing to let its prey flee. Thane flipped their position so Shepard was writhing underneath him, breasts moving up and down from the heavy breathing. He gently kissed her mounds before slipping into her once more.

The bed rocked at the constant movement as he attacked her sweet spot over and over again. He loved that look on her face that was halfway begging mixed with pure ecstasy. He loved how her fingers clutched the bedsheet so desperately as if holding on for dear life, he loved how those lips were parted open, moans filling the room and his name chanted like a mantra. He loved her dishevelled fire-red hair that sprawled on the mattress, loved how sweat trickled and made her look like she was glowing like the jewel she was. He loved how he knew that he was the one who put that expression on her.

“Thane, please, please I’m so close. Oh gods!” She cried out loud when he hilted inside her and she stretched her body, desperately wanting him to go even deeper. He felt her wrapping around him so tightly he feared he would slip out if he pulled back. He leaned in to catch her lips in a searing kiss before she fell apart in his arms with a loud, extended moan.

He increased his pace when she constricted. A few more thrusts and he followed the same fashion, spilling every last drop into her.

Both of them then went silent, only panting loudly on the bed in afterglow. A few moment later, he could feel her arm draped on his chest and he responded by turning on his side, allowing her to bury her face in his chest while he held her. Thane’s other hand pulled the blanket to cover their bodies as they snuggled closer.

“A plus performance.” She chuckled tiredly. “You know how to make a woman happy.”

“I aim to please.” He landed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “And fear not, I have recorded your sensitive spots for future reference.”

“I admit defeat, O Sere Krios the mighty. Your sexual prowess is truly fearsome.” Both of them laughed lightly at the remark. “Thane, is it weird that I want to see you with your piercings?”

He gauged his options and decided that there was no pain in showing it to her. Those items were ones of the few he had preserved and refused to part with, even now. So he nodded, gently withdrawing from their closeness to grab his cloak. Once he found it, he placed one piece on Shepard’s hand for her to see.

“Irikah gave them to me.” He said. “She never approved of my occupation but knew how much it means to me.”

Shepard admired how the metal glinted in the dim light. “But you were trying to make a difference. Feron told me that you killed slavers and saved your kind. Why would she disapprove?”

“She wanted us to live normally. But it was too late for me.” Thane paused, taking another one of the piercing to put it on his frills. It was a tight fit, the skin grew back although not entirely. Nevertheless, he could still the extreme pain as he forced it in though didn’t show it. “I grew to embrace my job. I gave little consideration for the lives of others.”

Shepard gripped Thane’s wrist tightly and shook her head. “Thane, you’re bleeding.” She said. “Stop it.”

“I can bear this much for you.” The drell smiled slightly, flattered that she was concerned.

“No.” The human insisted. “It’s okay.”

He looked into her eyes to see that she was serious and he relented. The spot where he forced the clasp was still throbbing in pain as she wiped off the blood.

After that Shepard switched the topic. She talked about her mission when she hunted Saren along with her companions. Even until midnight the story was still going but he kept listening. He never told her to stop, merely smiling and nodding, occasionally commenting and told her that he wished he was there to fight by her side.

“And Garrus blatantly told me I’m the worst dancer! The only dance floor I can rock is during gunfight! Does he never see that?” She laughed and Thane responded in the same fashion. “I mean, who has time to go dancing when you’re working for the Alliance?”

“I would love to see your dance, siha.”

“And embarrass myself?” She chuckled. “What about you? Can you dance? Eidetic memory and all.”

“I have never had the pleasure to try. Perhaps you would be my partner, siha?”

“I’m going to trip over your foot, better yet, my _own_ foot. It won’t be pretty.” She grinned. “Although… there’s one particular dance style I can do.” Shepard pursed her lips when Thane gave her a questioning look. “My… my boyfriend taught me. He was a great dancer.”

Thane noticed the past tense and carefully asked. “What happened to him, if I may ask?”

“Dead.” She took a deep breath. “Along with my team. Thresher Maw.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” So she suffered the loss of a cherished one too.

“Yeah.” Shepard sighed. “But we used to dance tango. I wasn’t the best student, mind you. But he was patient.”

Thane was unfamiliar with the named dance style but he had to admit that he didn’t know much about human culture. Perhaps he would try to learn the moves and surprise her one day.

Suddenly Thane could hear a shuffling noise from the window outside their room and he immediately picked his guard up. Shepard noticed the change in tension and she looked in the direction he was staring at.

“They haven’t given up yet.” She whispered softly but annoyance clear in her voice.

Thane’s eyes adjusted to see if there was any movement in the shadow while grabbing a knife from the nightstand. “Siha, I’m going to the bathroom for a moment.” He said in his usual volume while giving her a deadpan serious look that signalled that he was merely baiting the assailant.

He closed the door behind him although soon after he pulled it back to leave a small gap so he would be able to jump in as soon as possible. He stayed in there for a few minutes, accompanied with more footsteps and rustle of grass. When the lights were turned off, the noise became clearer.

Thane intentionally stepped out of the bathroom and the bedroom as well so whoever was outside, waiting for the perfect moment to strike would drop their attentiveness. An hour he spent waiting outside the door before he could hear the familiar sound of someone trying to bypass the window’s security lock.

It was then opened slowly and Thane had to commend them on their patience. Once a foot was set inside the room, he prepared himself. What seemed to be one person suddenly turned into four.

There was a loud gunshot and his heart paced as he stepped inside the room to see a salarian assassin already on the floor, blood pooling around his dead body. Thane stepped behind an asari and broke her arms before she could unleash her biotic. Once disarmed, he put one of his hands on the side of her skull and the other near her jaw before he moved his them in one direction, resulting in a gruesome cracks of bones.

A human assassin drew his gun and fired in Shepard’s direction. The woman immediately rolled to the ground to avoid the bullet and pulled the trigger of her Carnifex, shooting three times until he fell to the ground and Thane finished him off by driving a knife into his brain.

Leaving the weapon be, he spun around and punched the gun from the other human’s hand before swinging his feet against his so he lost his balance. Shepard took the opportunity to aim and pulled the trigger.

It was over. Thane relaxed his posture and took a deep breath before heading to Shepard.

“Are you hurt, siha?”

“No, I’m fine.” She said, lowering her gun and closed her eyes, sighing loudly. “How did they even know I’m he—“

Thane snapped his eyes open when he heard a gun being drawn from behind him. He let his guard down at the last second. It was a fatal mistake. As soon as he turned around to spot the assassin, an orange beam came from behind the door, electrocuting and stunning her.

Shepard immediately raised her gun and shot the presumably last assassin on the head. She fell on the ground.

“Shepard! Dad! Are you okay?” Kolyat appeared on the door, omnitool active on his right hand, a drone floating beside him. When he turned on the light, he gasped and covered his eyes right away. In front of him was a drell and human smothered in blood. Naked. “What the hell! Put something on!”

Both of them scrambled into the bathroom to clean themselves and put on some clothes before going outside again.

“It was very nicely done, Kolyat.” Thane smiled and his son looked away bashfully, summoned drone fading away. “Though I have to ask you, siha. What exactly have you done to anger the Broker to this extent?”

The human took a deep breath. “Do you know the collectors?”

“By reputation.” He answered concisely.

“For some reason they were involved in human trafficking. He sold information regarding spots where we are the most vulnerable. I’m not sure why exactly but like hell if I was just gonna stand there and watch my kind being sold.” Shepard crouched to check if any of the infiltrators were still alive then continued. “Nihlus, Wrex, Liara and I went tracked down the collectors and destroyed their shuttles. I think some of their agents got caught up in the mess.”

Holstering her gun, she started to gather the dead bodies together with Thane, Kolyat intentionally facing away, not wanting to see all the death. “I haven’t heard any more information regarding the continuation of the transaction but hell, if it keeps going I’ll destroy both the Broker _and_ the collectors.”

“I have no doubt that this will keep going.” Thane said after understanding why the assassins were after her. “By eliminating the Broker, the assassins will stop and so will this unwanted business.”

“Now we’re talking.” Shepard chuckled. “If we can get in touch with Feron, we’ll be able to know his exact base. But that guy changed his omnitool or something. I can’t seem to contact him.”

“Another solution is to wait for another assassin to come for you so we will be able to capture him and extract information.”

“That’ll work.” She said firmly. “And Kolyat, I think it’ll be safer for you if you further explore your tech skill. I might be able to get Tali to teach you more about drones. But of course you need to know hand-to-hand combat and how to fire a damn gun.”

“Not my fault that I don’t like to see my enemy’s brain splattering everywhere.” The boy sneered, arms crossed.

“I can teach you close combat.” Thane said. And the kid had to learn sooner or later. He was living with Shepard. Anyone who are close with her needed some way to protect themselves.

“Just don’t push yourselves.” Shepard cut sternly. “I don’t want any reports of fainting, got it?”

The human never tried to dispose her kills before so she was unsure of how to proceed. Thane, on the other hand, could name at least fifty spots where bodies could be dumped and no one would be able to find it for a week or even ever. They were pleased to see that when they came back, their room had been cleaned and bedsheet changed by Kolyat. There were still bullet marks on the wall but it was tolerable.

“I don’t want you sleeping in my room.” Was his only comment as he walked away, scowling.

Thane cocked his head slightly. His son had been acting perfectly normal since yesterday despite technically letting go of someone he was romantically invested in. Not only that, he was doing a great job at hiding any subharmonic of jealousy but Thane had to admit that he was rather grateful. He wouldn’t be able to bear the fact that he denied his son from happiness. He just hoped that Kolyat wasn’t too saddened by it.

“Kolyat is _adorable_.” Shepard laughed out loud before throwing herself on the bed, pulling Thane with her. He propped himself up by using his arms and bending his knees. “Not like his father.”

“I am crushed, siha.” The drell let out a small chuckle at the remark to let her know that he wasn’t being serious.

“Aww, the great Thane Krios is hurt.” She grinned, rounding her arms around his neck. Both of them laughed.

They then shared one lingering kiss before he settled next to her under the fresh blanket and falling asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dead internet means I can force my plot bunny to run again. Now I'm just tethering to upload this chapter! Hope you won't find it overly lame! I'm going to kick up the action again on the coming chapter.  
> 100k+ words! Hooray! This time Thane is dancing tango with Shep, kinda like the date with Garrus on Citadel DLC. Check out this vid: [here ](http://youtube.com/watch?v=i3vsiiRK5GU)
> 
> 140 kudos~! Thanks a lot guys ;__; I'm so happy so many people like it. I hope I can keep the quality up. Feel free to tell me what you think~

# Chapter 22

**Jane Shepard**

It had been exactly two months since the last assassin attack and Shepard briefly wondered if the Broker gave up. Hopeful thinking, but if things can go sour in a span of ten minutes, why can’t it go sweet? Nevertheless, no rest for the wicked.

She had contacted Wrex regarding Mordin’s request and although there were definitely some suspicions in the beginning, he had requested to talk to the doctor one on one. A week ago they met in person and discussed in great length about Mordin’s plan to cure the Genophage. Shepard had been there to ensure neither would hurt each other. She knew how hot-blooded Wrex was and Mordin wasn’t exactly a helpless scientist like she thought he was.

But it was great how the meeting ended nicely, agreement made. Wrex decided that he would supply Mordin with the samples he needed and the salarian promised that he would update the krogan on any progress. Not only had she helped a friend, she also got one great mind to start working on a cure for Kepral’s.

Thane was still doing his weekly check-up. So far, his illness had been kept at bay due to Mordin’s effective treatments and prototype medicines but the mutated cell was definitely still there so they kept coming back to the hospital. Kolyat also did some general check-up to make sure he wasn’t straining himself. Mordin also mapped out some training schedules that he could follow without going over his fatigue threshold level.

In the morning he would spar with Thane, in the afternoon he’d get tech lesson from Tali and in the evening, gun practice with Shepard or Garrus.

She gotta say, ever since Kolyat started doing combat practice with Thane, Shepard loved waking up in the morning. At around 7 or 8, they would already be up in the balcony, sparring with no top on. There would always be a steaming cup of tea waiting for her on the table facing them so she could sip it while watching the two men. More often than once, Thane would brew her a cup of coffee instead.

Sometimes her boyfriend would spar with her as well, and at one point asked both Kolyat and she to attack him at the same time. He still won despite the handicap and it was frustrating.

As time went on, she could see how much more defined Thane’s muscles had become. She found herself having to suppress silly, dreamy grin whenever he moved. It was always with grace and agility with zero unnecessary movements. He could deflect and avoid Kolyat’s attacks with one swift sidestep or by merely pushing an unsteady part of his son’s body.

Kolyat, by all means, wasn’t unattractive. He definitely had less muscles mass when compared to Thane. But he had done his share of heavy lifting too in the past. Well, it wasn’t voluntary. He mainly did the things that his owner would instruct him to do but he was glad anyway that it came in handy. He was built slim and tall.

The afternoon session with Tali was almost cute. The quarian had been way too excited to be able to teach someone something about tech. She went full on geek, explaining every detail to Kolyat, leaving the poor boy utterly lost and confused. The first two weeks, they learned the fundamentals including hacking, the third they started to choose ability specialisation for Kolyat. Tali said that most have four skills and Shepard took that chance to flaunt that she had double that.

By the end of the third week, the drell had chosen his favourite ones. Since he preferred to not be engaged in any fight at all, he thought Tali’s abilities were well suited for him. Combat and defense drone, sabotage and energy drain. That only served to make Tali even _more_ excited than she already was. She wouldn’t stop talking and Shepard was sure that when she left, the quarian didn’t even notice.

And in the evening with Shepard, they looked at various weapon types and Kolyat decided that his favourite was a shotgun and submachine gun—least amount of aiming involved, he said. But saying the kid was terrible at handling a gun was an understatement. He was _horrendous_. His hands were unsteady and he wouldn’t stop closing his eyes after he fired a shot. Although he was progressively getting better, Shepard feared that it still wasn’t enough.

“Kolyat, just stop for a minute.” The human took a deep breath as she stood up. The addressed drell lowered his gun to face the woman approaching him. “Talk to me.”

“I’m fine!” He denied quickly, looking away. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m just not talented enough.”

“Talent doesn’t matter. We’ve been doing this for a month but you can barely graze the target. Do you have something that’s stopping you, maybe?” She took the gun from his hand and set it on the side.

“Nothing.” He averted his eyes, obviously an attempt to bluff. “Not everyone can be like you and father. I’m just not made to be a soldier.”

After being with him for a few months, she knew how secretive the boy could be. His ego was too big for him to start talking about what was bothering him. He didn’t want to be treated like a kid so he decided to bottle everything up. Or perhaps he simply just didn’t want to burden anyone. Could part of it was caused by how long he had been alone, and how long he had to confide only in himself? She wasn’t sure. He wouldn’t talk to her.

“Would you be more comfortable if Thane’s here?”

“Won’t change anything.” Kolyat muttered. “Come on, I’m tired.”

Shepard exhaled exhaustedly. Although his training with Thane and Tali went smoothly, it wasn’t the case with her. She started to wonder if she was just no good as a teacher. And not only that, after the first week, Thane never showed up in the training again! He occasionally did but not as often and Shepard questioned silently what he had been doing.

Then there was the reporters. They still actively seek her out to question her about Thane. No matter how many times she told them to buzz of, they never did. Alright, she never really imagined that they would comply. After all, how else would the galaxy get their share of scandals?

A noise beeped from her omnitool, distracting her from her thoughts.

**_From_ ** _: Thane Krios  
**Subject** : A personal matter_

_Siha, will you come to Flux at 6? I have something I need to discuss with you. I know how much this particular sentence dreads you but please do not worry. I assure you that although this is something of great significance, it will not hurt you._

\--

Uh-oh, Shepard thought. That couldn’t be good. She never liked it when someone wanted to discuss something with her because most of the time it was bad news that they brought. But she felt herself being reassured by his last few sentences.

When she arrived at her apartment with Kolyat, Tali and Liara were present and her face immediately brightened. However, at the silence she had to squint in suspicion. The smile on Liara’s face also seemed a little… unnerving. It was something she would give whenever—

“Shepard, I heard you’re going on a date with Thane!” Tali squealed in delight, making Shepard took a step back.

“He just asked me to head to Flux! And how did you two know?! Oh god, no.” She stopped when she saw Liara whipping out a black leather dress and the quarian some human make-up set. “You are _not_ caking me up for a simple meet-up, alright?”

“It’s not _simple_!” Tali complained. “You’re going on a date, Shepard!”

“We simply cannot allow you to walk in that casual attire.” Liara commented softly as Kolyat slowly backed away and retreated into his room, not wanting to join the fray. “The poor man has been looking forward to this day.”

“How did you even _know_ about it before me?” Both women in front of her giggled. Instead of answering, they pulled Shepard into her room and started to get to business.

Shepard had no hard feeling towards make-ups and dresses but never could be bothered doing it herself. But dressing up for _Thane_? That was super nerve-wrecking. She had no idea if all the prettying up would even be considered attractive at all in drell’s eyes. One month together with him and yet all the pounding in her heart never stopped. She still acts like a schoolkid in love whenever they were together.

“You look absolutely stunning, Shepard.” Liara smiled, handing her a mirror and Shepard couldn’t help but gaping. She hadn’t look that neat ever since five years ago or something. The scars and freckles across her face had been tactically concealed, her eyelashes more prominent and eyes seemed bigger. Her lips were plump with red lipstick that matched her sun-kissed skin.

“My butt looks enormous in this. This is just ridiculous.”

“Kolyat, what do you think?” Tali shoved him inside Shepard’s room. The drell’s frills expanded and folds turned redder. He was rendered speechless for a few moment and the quarian gave a thumb up.

“I—uh…” He stammered, looking away from her. “Y-You look good, Shepard. Uh… and smells… nice.”

“Kolyat’s nice enough to tell us what kind of scent drells like so we went and bought the perfume that would match the occasion.” The asari patted her shoulder affectionately.

“Your boyfriend won’t even know what hits him. I’ll get Kasumi to take a lot of holos.”

“Tali!” Shepard glared at the quarian although to no avail.

After all the chuckles ceased, all of them took skycar to Flux and as soon as she stepped out of the car, tens of reporters came spilling in, snapping pictures of her in her formal attire. However, she noticed that there were more guards than usual and most of them were turians which meant Nihlus took part in this madness, somehow.

“I think I need a sunglasses.” Shepard squinted her eyes when lights started flashing all around her as she made her way inside the casino. Once inside she scouted around until she spotted a familiar blue turian sitting with a drell on the sofa in the corner and she approached them.

“Look who’s here.” Garrus’s mandibles fluttered in hospitality and humour before he stood up, turning to leave.

“W-whoa, whoa, wait! Whe-Where are you going?” Shepard frantically stopped him, desperately not wanting to look in Thane’s direction. God knows what kind of face he was making right now and she didn’t want to find out alone.

“I’m not his wingman, Shep.” Garrus chuckled, quickly fleeing from the scene before she could stop him again.

Involuntarily, Shepard pulled on her suddenly too-short dress, the other hand rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Still not facing her boyfriend, she swallowed thickly. “Uh… uhm… hi.” She sat down next to him.

“You look… celestial, siha.” Thane said after a long silence.

“Can you believe that Liara and Tali dare do this to me?!” She spat out, now looking in his direction. The drell wore something different, still leather but was less revealing. She could only assume that it was considered formal in their culture.

“Remind me to thank them later.” He smiled. “And sir Kryik’s intervention proves to be quite priceless.” Thane pointed at the turians keeping the reporters at bay and Shepard managed a genuine chuckle.

Feeling much more relaxed than before, Shepard smiled. “So what did you want to talk about?”

Suddenly it was him that seemed to be rather agitated. He played with his fingers and took a deep breath. “I have been informed that today is ah, when humans come together with their loved ones to enjoy each other’s company.”

Shepard’s eyes widened at the statement and she quickly checked her omnitool. “Valentine’s day,” A small amused smile formed on her lips. “Is this what it’s all about, Thane?” She laughed. “You made me nervous! Really, you don’t have to do this. Sometimes a greeting is enough.”

“I see.”

“No, don’t _even_ start with those puppy eyes!” Shepard quickly said when his eyes dropped. “I’m not good at mushy stuff. What I wanted to say is just being with you is good enough, Thane. You don’t need to do something like this.”

There was a small chuckle. “I know, siha. I was only joking.”

“You’re going to be the end of me, Thane Krios.” The human groaned when she realised that he was playing around. In the past he would interpret that open-ended statement as something negative but recently he understood that she would never do that.

“I fear I do not have any chocolate to give you.” Thane started, looking rather apologetic.

“No one sells chocolate here.” Shepard scoffed. How could there not be _any_? “I found one in the usual store but it’s disgusting. Not the finger-licking melting goodness that you can find back on Earth. So it’s all good, Thane. Just the gesture is sweet enough.”

The drell chuckled for a few moment, leaving his hands clasped neatly on his lap. “But I do have something else to offer.”

“Oh?” Her face brightened up with curiosity. What could her boyfriend had in stock for her? She found herself being a little giddy with excitement. Thane stood up slowly and Shepard kept her eyes fixed on him, anticipating what he was about to do. Thane is an extremely unpredictable man and so she found her heart pounding a little quicker.

He then extended his right hand, the left remained on his back. “Will you indulge me, siha?”

As if on cue, a familiar staccato started playing from the loudspeaker in the club and she immediately recognised it. Tango. He was asking her if she would dance with him. And not only that, the music was one of the few she had danced to in the past.

“You know you’ll give a lot of people a heart attack. They’re too used to the Shepard shuffle.” The human smirked before taking his outstretched hand gently.

Both of them headed to the dance floor, hand in hand with flashing lights to accompany their every move. Shepard could see her companions scratching their heads, panic settling in their faces in fear that their commander would embarrass herself. She could only let out a small chuckle as they came to a full halt.

Standing in the middle of the dance floor alone already attracted so many watchful eyes, including the shouts of the reporters. Shepard found herself being a little nervous to be watched by so many but at the reassuring squeeze of Thane’s hand, she managed to relax.

A second later, they started moving. Although off to a slow start of Shepard’s brain trying to remember the rhythm, Thane patiently led the dance. She fumbled and almost tripped on some occasions but he managed to save her all the time, stopping her from completely shame herself.

Shepard took a deep breath and grinned awkwardly at the drell and he gave her a small smile, gripping on her shoulder reassuringly.

“Relax, siha.” His soothing voice echoed in her ears and her posture immediately loosened. She suddenly was able to move more freely and found her touch. She eagerly followed Thane’s lead, shuffling from left to right with agility. He was doing such a great job at it. She knew what he wanted to do by gesture alone. It was subtle yet clear and she found herself drowning in the moment.

Unbeknownst to the two, everyone around them had stopped dancing and instead staring at them in fascination. Both of them moved in tandem, in one rhythm as if their bodies were one entity. Shepard leaned into Thane so their foreheads touched while feet kept moving.

When he loosened the grip of his hand on her back, she stretched, tilting her head backwards so she was looking at the ceiling before she came back, hand stroking his cheek affectionately. Their eyes locked at each other the entire time, completely forgetting all about the surrounding. She absolutely loved the feel of his hand on her waist, urging but not pushing. How his breathing was so close to her neck as they circled around each other in harmony.

After figuring out each other, they sped things up without seeming frantic. Huge steps at a time, they stopped synchronously on one end before going back to the other. He then grabbed her waist and lifted while spinning her in the air, finishing with right lunge.

There was utter silence before someone wolf-whistled. Most likely Garrus, followed with more clapping from the crew of Normandy. The others however, said nothing. They whispered among themselves before some reporters started to scream out more questions.

There were thousands of piercing comments made about their relationship and especially towards drell. Although Thane remained calm, she looked at him reassuringly while squeezing his hand. She was learning to decipher his expression and if she was right, he was quite overwhelmed at the moment. The drell glanced at her and returned the smile.

As soon as they took a step forward, a bunch of turian guards pushed the paparazzi out of the way to make a clear path for them. They quickly exited the club and jumped into a conveniently placed skycar only to see Nihlus riding on the driver’s seat.

“Great show.” He said. “People are going to talk about it for generations to come.”

“I bet.” Shepard laughed melodically, glacing in Thane’s direction. “Where did you learn how to dance like that?”

“I’ve had… lessons.” He said ambiguously which made her cock one of her eyebrows. “I hope such display wasn’t too much.”

“Trust me, I’ve done more extreme things than intimately dancing with an irresistibly sexy drell in a club. Though those reporters seem to think otherwise.” She grinned. “Though I do have to ask. Why go through all the trouble? I mean we can always do it at home.”

“I imagined that you would prefer to do it in a club. Am I mistaken?”

“Hell no! It definitely feels better there. More natural.” Thane nodded, a smile on his face before he went silent. “Is something wrong?”

He seemed deep in thought before snapping out of it. “No. No.” He glanced at Nihlus cautiously and Shepard bobbed her head slight as a silent recognition. He wanted to say something in private. So they waited until they reached the apartment, not forgetting to say a thousand thank yous to the turian.

“I received a message from Feron a few hours ago.” He said, successfully gaining Shepard’s attention.

“What did he say?”

“He informed me of his location.” The drell looked at her and she pursed her lips involuntarily. Any hints regarding Feron and the Broker was very much needed. “But it’s a little suspicious.”

“Suspicious? As in his location or…?”

Thane booted up his omnitool and showed the message to her which she read intently. But tried as she might, she couldn’t tell exactly what made it suspicious. After all there was nothing that pointed at it. Feron also wouldn’t wish them harm, would he?

**_From_ ** _: Feron  
**Subject** : RE: You could’ve said goodbye y’know_

_Shepard. Sorry I haven’t replied. As expected, the Broker agents are hunting me down relentlessly. It’s been a rough month and now they’ve got me cornered. I’ve sent an attachment of my exact location. It’ll do both of us good if you back me up ASAP. I’ll tell you where the Broker’s base is when this mess is sorted out and I get out alive._

\--

“Hold on.” Shepard said finally. “I sent the message from your omnitool, right? But he’s got my name there. And I’m pretty sure he’s recorded my address correctly. Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Part of it.” Thane said. “After seeing your name written, I took necessary precaution to ensure that it is no trap. I mean no harm but I have to admit that I do not trust him as you do. He wished to bring death upon you once and I find that noteworthy.” He continued calmly. “My omnitool is set with Drell language as its locale so it would automatically translate any language into Drell. As such, the message turns out quite… curious. So I made the system locale into your language—English, I believe?”

“It reads okay here.” She said while frowning. “A hundred percent coherent.”

“Which probably means that it has been typed using your language. The hacker used his omnitool to send a message back to me, thinking that it was your address.”

“But that’s not possible. It would be a rookie mistake to not check the sender’s name before replying.” She scratched her head as she looked at Thane. Suddenly she snapped her eyes open. “Unless!” She continued. “Feron swapped our names somehow?”

“That is the possibility that I’m thinking of. He is known to be extremely cautious. But changing our names around, not replying to us possibly on purpose and someone else using his omnitool…”

“He’s in trouble.” She bit her nails. “Damn it! The Broker got him, haven’t they?”

“Not necessarily. Perhaps I’m simply overreading it. After all, the deviation in sentencing is minute. This is a good lead, nevertheless. If it is a trap, we have no choice but to see it through.”

“Then we better get moving.” Shepard said. “I’ll take Garrus with us just in case. It’s not like he’s busy. All he’s been doing is freelance anyway.”

“When shall we leave, siha?” Thane asked calmly, noting her distress.

“Tomorrow morning. I’ll ask Nihlus if we can borrow one of his smaller ships.” She said as the typed away in her omnitool.

“Hm.” Thane mulled. “I would imagine you’d say right now instead of tomorrow morning.”

Shepard tutted, looking away from the device and letting it disappear in a shimmer. “Don’t tell me you didn’t plan for the night time Valentine’s Day dance? You know, the one where we don’t wear clothes and—“

The drell didn’t let her to finish her sentence as he pounced her with such agility she wasn’t able to react. They spent the night making love until both of them passed out in a panting mess.

**Thane Krios**

Memorising dance moves were easy enough, but having to improvise was the difficult part. Shepard claimed that she was able to do tango and he felt as if he should be prepared for her trying to lead. It would be quite unseemly if he tripped over himself and embarrassed the both of them so he watched more videos to study more moves.

It was a mighty good thing that Shepard’s asari friend, Liara suddenly stumbled upon him trying to dance somewhere in the living room while Shepard was away with Kolyat to teach him about weaponries. She had an amused grin on his face when he caught him but decided to offer to teach him. She was no expert in tango, she said. But she indulged in some dancing herself although not much therefore she was more experienced.

Much to Thane’s horror, she invited Tali to join the fray but he immediately stopped trying to complain when he realised how _good_ she was at dancing. Both women giggled when Thane shared the reason why he wished to learn and it only encouraged them to push him even harder. As a result he barely ever attended Shepard and Kolyat’s session again and he wished he would not anger her.

The human, Kaidan Alenko also joined the practice once, carefully watching the movements and putting on some of his favourite tango music. He didn’t dance but he loved seeing this particular dance type. He also informed that Valentine’s Day was coming up in Earth and had explained its significance to people with a lover.

Thane thought that it might be too much of a request, asking her to dance in a club where people would be able to watch them clearly. He thought she might reject the proposal and honestly, he would understand. But she didn’t.

It was a smooth sailing. Although Shepard had been extremely daunted in the beginning, she managed to relax and calmly follow his lead, occasionally improvising on her own although not to a great extent. Thanks to his training, he managed to follow through and didn’t seem awkward as she spun around in a rhythm.

A few hours before the dance, a message came up in his omnitool which he quickly checked. His heart sped up when he saw that it was Feron who messaged him. He carefully read the message, noting the mistake in mentioning the owner of the address. He should know that it wasn’t Shepard’s omnitool so he became concerned.

There were slight differences with how drells would normally speak to each other that he knew would be lost in translation. And although it might seem like there was no difference for the people who grew up without being nurtured in Drell literature, Thane noticed it crystal clear. Feron was no fool. He knew that the infiltrator wrote in a similar manner to him although some people might say not as sophisticated.

If Feron was trying to lure them into a trap he would at least try to correct his writing so it would seem like he was the one who wrote it. So he scratched that possibility. The only other option was someone else had used his omnitool to draw them into an ambush.

**_To_ ** _: Feron  
**Subject** : RE:RE: You could’ve said goodbye, y’know_

_This is why I told you to stay with me. At least you’ll be safer. Now I gotta haul your ass back here when we could’ve destroyed the Broker a month ago. I guess this is where I get to say ‘I told you!’_

_Jokes. I’m coming to get you now. Hold on._

\--

Shepard glared at Thane with such intensity he feared that she would start to pummel him with pillows. “That doesn’t sound like me at all!” She complained.

“You have to admit that it does.” Thane chuckled at her response. She had pushed him to reply, wanting to see what kind of person she was in his head but she didn’t seem pleased at all now.

“Alright. It does. A little bit. But that’s just because you’re cute.” She grumbled before trying to untangle herself from the blanket mess. Both of them slept with plenty of pillows on the mattress so pillow fights would be more fun, she said. Although really, pillow fights usually ended with both of them wrestling together on the bed.

Thane pulled her hand and as a result she fell down into his arms. “Okay I have defeated my biggest enemy in the morning which is my blanket. Now I have to fight my boyfriend too?”

“There is no need for that, siha.” He smiled, breathing into the crook of her neck before peppering it with kisses that made her laugh. He could never get over the fact that humans were incredibly sensitive—what was the term? Ticklish?

After the laughter died down, both of them lied down momentarily. “Are we going to take Kolyat?”

“It’s your choice.” He said. “Either way know that I will have your back.”

“Then no.” Shepard answered firmly. “He’s not ready for real combat yet. I don’t wanna haul his sorry ass back home because the gore scared him.”

“I do sound like you in the message.”

The human groaned at the comparison. “You win, Krios. You win.”

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to get a chapter up before my 2 weeks trip to Japan! ~~I definitely haven't been slacking and playing Fallout 4 NOPE NOT AT ALL.~~
> 
> I'm not really proud of how this one turned out... but I hope you people won't find it too overly boring or anything... Thank you for everyone who dropped comments/kudos/bookmarks. I appreciate it, you guys!!

Once fully prepared, Shepard and Thane made their way to the docking bay as discreetly as they could as to not wake Kolyat up. She knew that if the boy found out about their plan to dive head first to a trap, he would try to stop them, or worst case scenario, would insist on joining. Both of them wanted to take no risk.

She told Tali to overload the boy with tech so that when she returned he would become a tech-guru like herself. That way she wouldn’t have to constantly worry about him. The quarian was more than happy to comply and she didn’t know whether to fear it or not but nevertheless she wasn’t the target of her nerdiness so she merely wished Kolyat all the best.

Initially, Garrus was more than happy to be dragged along but strongly protested against it after he found out that they were going to walk straight into a trap to get information regarding the Shadow Broker. He thought it was a foolish thing to do and Shepard couldn’t agree less. However mad it was, the only way they would get anywhere was execute the plan.

And now they were backed against the wall when Nihlus and Shepard were practically drilling their eyes into each other in a death-stare match. Both of them had been going at it for the past two minutes or so, neither moving nor backing away.

“It’s not that hard, Nihlus! Give me your damn ship and I’ll leave you alone!” The commander snarled, giving him the best commander look but the turian did not budge. He certainly wasn’t scared of her since they were both spectres, Shepard being reinstated just a few weeks ago.

“I will _not_ lend you my ship, Jane and I will _not_ change my decision.”

“You know I won’t leave until you say yes.” Shepard glared at him as she crossed her arms. He was being ridiculously stubborn. Both of them knew that if she would never relent. Her resolve was carved in stone already. “It’s okay, I won’t get your ship destroyed.”

“It’s not my ship that I’m worried about.” He quickly said.

“Oh, you’re worried about me, is that it? Just because Normandy got blown up you think that it’ll happen a second time?” She growled. “Well, it’s okay. I’ll just go rent someone else’s ship. I’m going either way.”

“Wait! Dammit, Jane!” He said, finally relaxing his posture. “Alright, alright. I get it. Geez, you’re so stubborn.”

“Really?” She immediately turned her back, expression changing so drastically there were gleams in her eyes. “Awesome!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll send one of my best pilots too since Joker isn’t here.” He typed away in his omnitool and sighed. “Your tantrums make me feel like I’m a father talking to his adolescent kid.”

“You’re the best, dad!” Shepard laughed, making her voice as high-pitched as possible.

“Spirits!” The turian almost did a facepalm. “I don’t know how you can manage her, Krios.”

“I surprise myself sometimes too, sir.” The drell chuckled quietly while watching Shepard running off. They quickly made their way to Nihlus’s ship and it soon departed. “You sure do stir quite a lot of troubles with Kryik.”

She laughed light-heartedly. “The best way to make him say yes, to be honest. I use anything at my disposal to my advantage.” Their relationship was quite the odd one since Nihlus could be quite protective over her. He used to have the excuse of her being his protégé but now not anymore. Still, their dynamic never changed.

“Why did you insist on having this ship?”

“It’s comfortable.” She grinned. “I don’t think you can find any other ship that has such cosy sofa and bed. Damn turians and their fluffy beds. Next time I have to buy one, I’m going to a turian furniture shop.”

The pilot already set course for the coordinates that Shepard gave him. It took them only a little over 20 hours to reach their destination. Shepard managed to slip in a little nap during the travel before setting foot in an eerily silent building. Straightaway they knew that it was a trap. Although it was undoubtedly messy inside, there was absolutely no sign of gunfight nor were there corpses lying around.

But either way, she was relieved that she wasn’t greeted with heavy fire during landing. They intentionally picked a site quite far away from their destination so they wouldn’t be spotted too easily.

The three slowly made their way forward, Garrus guarding Shepard’s six and Thane keeping his rifle close to his chest. There was absolutely no movement from around them but the drell seemed to sense otherwise. He signalled for them to stop and immediately crouched.

“I hear something.” He said as softly as he possibly could. “I’m uncertain as to how many are present but enough that I would suggest against frontal assault.”

Shepard knew better than to doubt Thane’s instinct so she only nodded affirmatively as they scanned for another way in. When she looked to the side, a smile grew on her face.

“I… don’t like that look.” Garrus commented flatly but followed her eyes anyway. He instantly groaned when he spotted what she was looking at. There were three grenades lying idly on the desk and judging by its look, it was no conventional ones that only made small explosions.

“That’s enough to destroy one room and everyone in it.” She tiptoed forward to grab the still-intact and functioning weapons. “But we need to confirm that Feron’s not there before doing anything.”

“And we need the operation leader so we’ll be able to interrogate them.” Thane said. “This is the simplest method there is. Are you certain, siha?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Better than charging foolishly in there, right? We’ll just chuck this and watch them scramble. Then we can finish off the stragglers.”

“But you must be aware of the consequences, siha. Not only them, we’ll be put at risk too since we need a way to make sure that the grenade will fall where it will cause the most casualty.” Thane remarked after a short pause.

The drell had _this_ look on his face that made Shepard think that he had a plan. So she not-so-gently nudged his shoulder while grinning. “You have a cool plan there, sere Krios? Preferably the one that will make plenty of explosions.”

“Perhaps.” He said vaguely while keeping his eyes on the corner. “Let’s move.”

So move they did. As they went further inside the facility, they quickly noticed that it was a science lab they were roaming in. The look on Thane’s face turned grimmer after they passed a decontamination room and up the stairs silently. Shepard couldn’t help but worry as she put her hand on his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, lowering her gun.

“I apologise for the silence, but this setup is a little odd.” He said, putting his hand over hers.

“You’re right.” Garrus added, mandibles tightening in concern. “A lab isn’t exactly the most flexible thing in the world when you want to launch an ambush. There’s no good spot for you to hide a lot of people without someone knocking a beaker over.”

“Now that you mention it.” Shepard muttered, this time putting more attention to her surroundings. Of course it bothered her but she decided not to think twice about it. Now that her companions mentioned it, she felt a little vulnerable. “Can you still hear footsteps, Thane?”

“Yes. It never stopped increasing.” He answered, stopping behind a door to let Shepard push it.

“Any other noise?”

“Loud grumbling. I cannot make sense of it, however.”

At the information, Shepard’s heart thumped loudly. Science lab. Lots of footsteps. Loud groans. It could only mean one thing right?

“Siha, is everything alright?” This time it was his turn to question her.

“I think…” She stalled. “I think the Broker has something else in mind when it comes to trap.” The human pursed her lips at the realisation. “I think this facility is occupied by husks.”

There was silence before Thane continued. “They’re well prepared. I cannot hear anything else over the noises they emit. This laboratory is also large in size that I doubt we’d be able to spot them just by going around. They could be anywhere.”

“Why don’t we make them come to us?” Shepard chimed in. “We can make a huge commotion to draw them out.” If they really decided to play it safe and make no noise, there was no telling what time could do to Feron. What if he was already captured and now at the Broker’s mercy? She shuddered at the possibility.

“Risky plan, siha.” Thane said as he shook his head. “It’s the quickest but one wrong move and we will be swarmed. There are too many unknown variables. Our enemies might only be here to kill us and not to taunt us beforehand.”

“Or we can just go around this godforsaken building trying to find a needle in haystack.” She insisted despite the disapproving look her boyfriend shot her way. “Look, I can do this by myself. Promise. You two can hide somewhere and give me some covering fire.” She gripped her gun tightly. “This is no time to be careful, Thane. You know that. We have to get to the Broker as soon as we can. It’s not just my life we’re talking about here, but Feron’s too.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say, siha. However, I still do not like the idea of you being the bait.”

“No, Thane.” She quickly cut him off. “Feron saved my life. If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t be here. Together. I want to pay my debt.”

The drell fell deep in thought before nodding. “Very well. But please promise me that you will not do anything rash. I will seek a safe spot to provide you with covering fire.”

“Promise.” She gripped his hand reassuringly before turning to Garrus. “And you, big boy?”

“Right behind you, Shep.” He clicked his assault rifle and put on his helmet before glancing at Thane. “Always trust Shepard for any reckless plans that can get us all killed. That’s her forte.”

“Amen to that.” She chuckled as she whipped out her submachine gun. Afterwards they made their way to a spot where Thane deemed all the ruckus was coming from. There was no windows or peephole so she couldn’t be sure what was inside. Either way, it was necessary to do find out. “Alright, you ready to do this?”

“Not really, but does it matter?” Garrus said with humour before Shepard opened the door wide, throwing a grenade inside that exploded with a loud boom. The smoke hadn’t even cleared out yet when the first husk broke through. Shepard quickly unleashed her singularity to make every single foe that stepped outside floating with zero mass in the air.

They went through the enemies methodically at first but the husks weren’t afraid of getting shot—they kept trying to pounce on them so it proved to be a challenging fight especially when Shepard’s singularity faded away. She had to throw another one while keeping her guard up. She could occasionally see the husks’ heads exploding thanks to Thane’s covering fire.

“Shepard, I’m almost out of ammo!” Garrus screamed out as they kept shooting. She wasn’t doing any better herself. Submachine gun ate a lot of her ammo that she hardly had any spare.

“Siha!” Thane said, throwing her his spare clips to the ground behind them. They moved backwards to grab some and reloaded.

“Much appreciated!” She said before looking to the side. “Garrus, watch out!” She did her biotic charge to pry the husk away from her turian companion.

It went downhill quick. She knew that fighting a bunch of husks wasn’t the smartest idea despite how she pictured it in her head. It was needless to say that they went through their medigel quickly and by the end of it, they only had one left.

“I can’t believe it.” Shepard said, panting. “How many did we just fucking butcher?”

“Look around. That should give you some idea.” Garrus answered with the same fatigue.

Suddenly there were clicking noises all around them and both Garrus and Shepard whipped their heads to check for the source. They were completely surrounded with at least a dozen fully armed LOKI units and one human who she assumed was the leader.

“Well, well, look who’s here.” A human male with greying hair and rough husky voice appeared. “I was told that Commander Shepard would be here but I never thought she’d be dumb enough to fall into my little trap.”

Shepard swallowed thickly when she realised who she was facing. It was the Blue Suns. She never thought that the Broker would hire mercenaries now. They must be so desperate to have her killed. Any reckless movement would be fatal now.

“Zaeed Massani, isn’t it?” Garrus asked but made no move to lower his weapon. “One of the founders of Blue Suns.”

“That spares the introduction.” He answered. “If you know who I am then lower your fucking gun now. My order is to take you in alive but I don’t think the Broker would mind a dead target.”

Shepard looked at Garrus for a split second before setting her gun on the ground while keeping her eyes on the aged mercenary in front of her. The turian followed the same fashion soon after. “Well, Massani. How much did the Broker pay you? I can give you more.”

“And get hunted down by them? I don’t think so, girl.”

“Might as well spare yourself the trouble. I’m planning to kill the Broker so you can still get your money’s worth and no one to hunt you down.” Shepard insisted.

“Tempting offer but answer’s still no. There’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed.”

“Well, what about this then,” She changed her tactic and she could feel Garrus’s eyes on her. She wasn’t a spectre for nothing. She was aware of the politics, especially being so close with Nihlus. His passion for the said subject rubbed off on her so she knew more about it than she cared. “I’ll help you kill Vido.”

At that, she could see the hesitation in his eyes for a heartbeat, hands lowering his weapon slightly. “How the _fuck_ did you know about him?”

“I’m friends with a turian spectre who won’t shut up about politics. Guess I’m just lucky he talked about Blue Suns when he did.” She continued, further giving him reason to let them go. “I’ll double what the Broker promised you _and_ I’ll kill Vido for you. After that I’ll give you the Broker’s head. But you have to let me go.” At the extended silence, Shepard added. “What do you say, Massani? I scratch your back, you scratch mine?”

Garrus obviously hadn’t expected her to use diplomacy over guns but he seemed pleased nevertheless.

“Goddamn, girl.” He said finally. “And how the hell are you planning to find the Broker’s base?”

“Bring me to who hired you. I’ll make their life a living hell until they tell me everything they know.” She said. “I have a friend who’s a natural in the art of torturing. Isn’t that right, Thane?” She smirked, looking past Zaeed’s shoulder and the older man tensed. He immediately turned back to see a submachine gun pointed at his face.

“What the fuck!” He yelled when he saw a green-scaled drell standing behind him with such expressionless face. The LOKI units then moved to point their guns at him but Zaeed quickly gestured for them to stop.

“Trust me, he can skin you until you’re nothing but muscles while maintaining that exact same expression.” She grinned. “Do we have a deal?”

“For fuck’s sake!” He growled out loud but finally holstering his weapon. “Consider me impressed.”

“Awesome.” Shepard nodded, picking up her gun once more.

**Thane Krios**

He had to play it cool when Shepard got surrounded although his heart was thumping loudly. However, he knew better than to let emotion overcome his senses. It could cost their lives. Not to mention the man seemed like he gave no shit about who his target was. He got paid most probably a handsome amount and he would finish the job with no drama.

Hence he did not try to snipe him yet. The LOKI mechs would certainly go on rampage if he was to fall. Besides, Shepard seemed like she was trying to stall and find for an opening. So he made his way around them and dropped just behind him in such fashion that the robots never noticed.

He was genuinely surprised that Shepard had tried to reason with him rather than threaten him, as did Garrus. But he nodded in approval at her decision, saying that it was the right thing to do. As a result, all of them went to their merry way to confront the one who issued Zaeed with the task to begin with.

All three of them stayed low while the mercenary walked to the other human male in one of the rooms in the same facility to report. He was accompanied with two hulking krogans holding shotguns.

“So how was it, Massani? You got her?” The younger man asked him, cigarette pinched between his fingers.

The mercenary threw the gun that Shepard gave him to the ground and nodded. “Easy. She’s got her turian bitch with her too. I finished him off.” He continued, this time throwing Garrus’s helmet.

“So you got her killed? Your order is to bring her alive.”

“The bitch won’t stay low so I’ve got no other choice. Either way she’ll be out of your nose. Let me get my money and I’ll be off before you know it.” He hissed impatiently.

“Patience, Massani.” He chuckled. “Take me to her corpse and I’ll transfer the creds.”

“Come with me then.” Zaeed grumbled as he headed for the door and Thane immediately shifted away to flank the man and his two bodyguards. They intentionally remained hidden when their targets stepped out.

In a heartbeat, Thane, Garrus and Shepard finished off the unsuspecting krogans before the human could react to anything. When he turned around, Zaeed got him locked by the neck, assault rifle pressed tightly against his temple.

“What a shame. If you’d just fucking pay me this won’t happen.” The smirk was clear in his voice.

“You fucking traitor!” He yelled out loud. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you, you filthy, lying snake!”

“Thane.” Shepard called him and the drell immediately landed a strong punch across his face that made him spat blood. “You won’t speak unless we ask you questions, is that clear? My friend right here isn’t as kind as I am, you know.”

Zaeed pulled the man back inside the room and tied him up on the metal pipe on the wall while Garrus deactivated any tech he might have on his body, including his omnitool so he wouldn’t be able to cry out for help. Once the door was locked tightly, they set to work.

Thane prepared himself. He fell into memory as he tried to recall how to prolong suffering on humans. Their skins were so sensitive and soft they would die quick if he wasn’t careful. They needed this man alive if they wanted to know anything about Feron and the Broker’s location.

“Alright, do your thing.” The mercenary grumbled while leaning on the wall just next to the door. He pulled out a cigarette while observing.

Shepard started with showing the message that she received from Feron. She pulled out her omnitool and displayed it. “Do you know anything about this?” She asked sternly.

“Even if I do I won’t tell you.” He snarled aggressively and Shepard looked at Thane. He nodded firmly before landing a rather powerful punch across the face of the captive.

“You’re making this hard for us. Just answer the question and maybe we’ll let you get out alive. Just trust me. It won’t be pretty if you keep doing this.” She shook her head. “Thane?”

He deemed it unnecessary to talk since it was quite unlikely that the man would be able to understand his language so he played the silent torturer. Making sure that he didn’t give out any subharmonic or expression, he took the pocket knife underneath his cloak. From there on, everything went smoothly.

Shepard was the one who taunted and asked the questions while Thane served as a threat. He would continuously inflict injury on the most sensitive parts while keeping all bleeding minimum. Sometimes Shepard would put a small amount of medigel to prevent him from bleeding dry.

It was difficult in the beginning. He proved to be quite troublesome despite the fact that Thane had taken one of his eyeballs and made him taste it himself. But after time went on, he became more and more deranged. Answers slipped from his mouth either voluntarily or accidentally. Either way, Garrus was in the corner recording everything.

The one regarding the Broker’s location proved to be the toughest to extract. He had explained that the message was a fake made from Feron’s omnitool which meant that he had fallen into the Broker’s hands. Shepard momentarily worried but Thane quickly got her back on track. They were not allowed to show any weaknesses at that moment as it would give the enemy a morale boost.

So they resumed the session for a good few hours. They slowly suspected that he really knew nothing but decided that they should go for a couple more hours until they got everything they wanted out of the man. Thane himself was trying to get accustomed once more to the blood on his hands. He tried to shake off the guilt inside his stomach, something that he certainly hadn’t experienced when he was intentionally trying to torture someone. It was like his conscience had returned to him and he was unsure whether that was a good thing or not.

After a good six hours they spent in the room that was getting increasingly bloody by the second, Shepard felt the need to step out a bit. She squeezed Thane’s hand reassuringly while keeping her eyes fixed at him on the doorway.

Thane smiled at her, understanding her need to take a breath of fresh air. Garrus went to accompany her along with Zaeed, leaving him alone with the Broker’s agent completely at his mercy. The man had lost some fingers, an eye and there were more than a hundred cuts all over him. His breathing was coming in short pants, blood wouldn’t stop trickling from his slit lips.

The drell sat on the opposite side, eyes drilling into him mercilessly to let him know that he wouldn’t be able to escape. Thane had been trained to keep his focus up even when he was fatigued. He could go for a week without a blink of rest and now he was anything but tired.

A few hours later, Shepard returned to resume the session. This time the man seemed to be to weary to try to resist so it didn’t take long at all for him to spill the beans. They finally got the Broker’s coordinates.

“What shall we do with him, siha?” Thane asked calmly.

“Kill him.” She said mercilessly. “We don’t want him warning the Broker that we’re coming.”

“As you wish.” The drell nodded, pointing his submachine gun at the man’s forehead.

“You won’t be able to beat the Broker!” He screamed out with everything he had left. “He’s got that fucking retard Feron and he’ll die before you can—“

BAM!

“We should head there right now, siha. We’ve wasted enough time here.” Knowing how important saving Feron was for her, he wouldn’t want to arrive there too late. They immediately made their way into their ship and departed for the coordinates.

Thane had visually checked for any sign of lies but he deemed that there wasn’t any. He was in no condition to make up a lie and there was no signs that would make him think so. He was an extremely sceptical person when it came to interviewing and it usually came in handy.

It didn’t take long for them to travel to the said star system and saw a large spaceship that was completely closed from inside. They had to find their way in and hacking the door proved to be the most difficult task. The only one proficient in hacking was probably Garrus and he wasn’t that much better than Shepard either. It took him quite a long time to get it unlocked while Shepard, Thane and Zaeed provided covering fire.

Thane had closely observed the mercenary to see any sign of betrayal but none ever came and for that he was glad. The man was obviously experienced. Like Shepard, he preferred frontal assault and his armour was made to withstand the heaviest gunfire. However teamwork proved to be quite troublesome so instead of suffering from friendly fire, both of them moved away from him slightly.

When they finally entered they were greeted with more resistance but it only made Shepard even more dedicated to advance. They might burn through their thermal clips quick but it didn’t mean they couldn’t scavenge what their enemies dropped.

But all the use of biotic and trying to withstand the recoils of his guns made him tired quickly. Somewhere along the line he found himself having to take a deep breath as sweat started to drop down his scales, making them oily. Shepard stalled when she heard the heavy breathing from behind her and she made her way to him, putting her arm around him.

“Are you alright, Thane?” She whispered softly.

“Yes. My apologies. I just need to take a little break.” He answered, cursing his lack of stamina.

“What’s wrong with the drell? We can’t afford to stop now.” Zaeed said nonchalantly, hands still gripped tightly around the handle of his rifle.

“Shut up, Massani.” Shepard growled at his response as she helped Thane to lean against the wall. Before she could say anything else to comfort him, all of them could hear a scream from the room next door and he could see Shepard jolting in surprise. “Oh god. That’s Feron.”

Thane forced himself to get back to his feet before following Shepard into the other room. It was empty and dark, only illuminated with an object on the right side. When they took one more step forward, the object lit up with blue electricity that made Thane slipped into solipsism briefly before he snapped out of it. There was a loud scream that he identified with Feron and both Shepard and he quickly made their way to the chair to see the drell bound to it.

“Feron, holy shit!” Shepard gasped in horror at the state of his body. His scales were burnt and some were chipped away due to the constant flow of lightning surging through him for who knew how long.

“Looks like I overestimated myself.” He panted loudly, the residue of the current still apparent. “He got me good.”

“Just hold on! I’ll take this off.” She panicked but was stopped by him.

“No, Shepard. The only way to unlock it is via the Broker’s terminal.” He said, slightly coughing. “You came.”

“Of course I did, you idiot! How did you manage to get captured?!”

“Come on, I’ll tell you all about it once you’ve freed me.” He complained, wary of another electrocution that would soon follow. “The Broker is just ahead but Shepard, please be careful. He’s no idiot.”

“Don’t have to tell me that. I’ll bring you his spine as a gift, Feron. Just you wait.” She growled low and Thane himself was determined to take the boss down. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. Having rested for a few minutes, he found himself almost recuperated.

“This is fucking insane.” Zaeed commented from behind them but didn’t seem like he was going to back down any time soon. “My pay better be goddamn good.”

“Want missions that would kill us all? Just go to Shepard.” Garrus reconfirmed and Thane couldn’t help but silently agree. He was still opposed to the idea of facing down the Broker but there were no turning back now. They needed a way to free Feron and end the assassination attempts on Shepard’s life.

“Siha…” He sighed while looking at her in question.

“We’ll be okay, Thane.” She nodded reassuringly, not forgetting to squeeze his hand gently. “Just watch my back.”

“What the fuck, you guys dating or something?” The mercenary commented sharply.

“Problem?” Shepard asked just as firmly.

“I don’t give two shits. Let’s just go and kill that son of a bitch.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned from Japan, this time bringing a chapter as a gift! Thank you all for your patience! I hope 10 days of slacking off haven't made me lose my touch.
> 
> All kudos and comments are wonderful <3
> 
> [16/12]: Edited some formatting derps

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard found it excruciatingly difficult to keep a straight face as Thane did what she promised he would do. Every single hit he inflicted only served to prolong suffering and more often than once she thanked the gods that he was on her side. That level of pain was inhuman even for an enemy of hers. However she knew from the firm look that he gave her that she wasn't allowed to cast her sight away from the tortured man.

She managed to avoid looking at him by feigning vague disinterest in his well-being as an excuse to not glance in his direction. She just hoped that it seemed natural enough.

Thane was a clean worker. The cuts that he exacted were not deep enough that it allowed blood to continuously spill but definitely cause major pain. The scream that never stopped echoing in the room proved her point right.

"I-It was a fake!" He gasped out abruptly after a series of rough coughing. His lips were dry and scarred and they didn't stop shaking. The man let out a rather pathetic whimper as Thane grabbed him by the hair roughly.

It took every ounce of her self-control to not get overexcited from the smallest piece of message that might even be a lie. Instead, she took a deep breath as she approached the man. The smell of blood invaded her nostrils and despite having dealt in the said liquid constantly, she found her gut churning wildly.

"What was that?" She leaned so close into him that she only needed to whisper.

"We... we took his omnitool and faked a distress message." His voice quivered in fear and desperation. "We wanted to lure you into a trap."

"Where is he?" She hissed. "Where is Feron?"

They locked eyes for a long while before the man mustered the courage to take a deep breath and spat on her face. "I'll sooner die than tell you, you fucking drell whore!"

That proved to be enough for Thane's restraints to snap all at once and dove a knife on his left shoulder so deep she thought he hit the heart. He then moved so quickly Shepard thought she'd miss it if she had blinked to round his hand around the man's neck.

"Thane!" The commander screamed out in order to calm the drell down. That reaction was exactly what the man wanted. Now that he knew what would trigger Thane to snap, he would surely try to use the strategy often so he would be able to die quicker.

The addressed male regained his composure soon after, blinking at her apologetically but she only managed a small smile in return, oddly flattered at his protective instinct.

And now here she was in the Broker's base at last, trying to save the drell who was arrogant enough to think that he would be able to outrun the most powerful information group in the galaxy. But she had to commend him for his gut.

"Okay, what are you looking at?" She crossed her arms uncomfortably before leaving.

"I dunno." Feron said, extremely nonchalant for someone who was lying down helplessly. "I kind of expected you two to start shamelessly make out."

"Spirits! Encourage them, why don't you?!" Garrus complained right away, the disgust clear in his voice as he looked anywhere but their direction.

"By luck the Broker will melt into a puddle of happiness. That'll spare us the troubles of having to put him down." Shepard chuckled and hovered her hand on the door trying to figure out the bypass command but was surprised when the glowing yellow light turned green before she could interact with it. Immediately, her entire body stiffened.

"Cocky bastard." Zaeed muttered.

"Alright, here we go, people." Shepard said, couldn't help unconsciously licking her lips due to the nerve. "Thane, you're staying." She continued and before the drell could voice out his objection she quickly cut him off. "You're on your limit. I will not jeopardise your safety for this. You're to stay with Feron and make sure no one tries to kill him, understood?"

The green-scaled drell fell quiet momentarily before nodding but not without a small sigh. "Understood, siha."

"Alright, let's roll, everyone." She exclaimed as she placed her hand over the glowing button and the door swished open in a heartbeat.

Shepard had to say that she expected something more gruesome than the report updates coming from countless terminals and the glow of unknown blue liquid above their heads that vaguely reminded her of biotic but she was certain that it wasn't. Not too far in front of them was a large alien species sitting behind a desk that almost seemed too small for him. He was the size of a mature krogan, perhaps even larger.

"A yahg?" Garrus whispered softly, couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "I was half-expecting... something else."

"Tell me about it." She retorted just as softly like a pair of schoolkids talking to each other, trying to not get caught by the teacher. "I wished the Broker was a volus so it won't _really_ be a fight."

Garrus snorted in a turian-way, mandibles flicking in humour at a response and both of them had to suppress a childlike giggle. Zaeed turned their heads, glaring at them as if telling them to stop and be serious.

"Party pooper." Shepard muttered under her breath and when prompted by the man what she said, she quickly said, "Nothing!"

"Commander Shepard." The yahg finally said and the three intruders stood silent. "You owe me a debt."

"And I'm here to make sure that it will be nullified." Shepard answered calmly, refusing to be fazed by his taunt. "Though it's not my blood that will spill, but yours."

"And Zaeed Massani, you dare turn your back on the Broker."

"You think I don't have the balls, do you?" He asked with gruffness in his voice.

"No, that much is expected after receiving a bullet to the head by your colleague." The Broker responded, ignoring the guns that were pointed in his direction. Shepard could hear Zaeed's growl.

"Son of a bitch." He snarled, obviously provoked, and he lifted his assault rifle higher up.

"Massani, stand down." Shepard immediately said. As much as she wanted to get it done and over with, she needed to ensure that Feron wouldn't be harmed if the Broker was. It might sound a little over the top considering unlikely things like that but she could never be too careful. "Let Feron go."

"And why would I want to do that?" He asked, voice low, hands clasped together on the desk. "He brought it upon himself, I believe."

"I won't ask twice, yahg. Set him free  _now_ ." Shepard hissed although she knew full well that he wouldn't budge. A fight was inevitable. "Set him free or I'll do it the hard way." The Broker, however, remained unprovoked as he glowered silently at the three before standing up slowly. Shepard's gun followed his motion and even when he stood tall, she refused to flinch. "Silent treatment for me?"

"You are no fool, Shepard. You know precisely what my answer is." He said. "It's very kind of you to personally seek me out. Now I can finish you off and that traitor next."

"Cover!" Shepard screamed out as she dived down behind the conveniently column in front of her. Zaeed and Garrus immediately turned to the ones near them as soon as gunshot rang. "Garrus, overload!"

"Affirmative!" The turian responded and straight after that, an orange explosion shimmered on the Broker's shield, followed by another which she could only assume was Zaeed's, they wore it down so much that they were able to completely dissipate it by firing wildly at the flinching yahg.

With a grin on her face, she employed her biotic pull and immediately readied her heavy throw only to have it thwarted. When she realised what just happened, the Broker's shield was up again at full power.

"What the fuck!" She rolled to the side when he charged in her direction with a gigantic biotic shield—physical one this time. There was a loud crash against the column and Garrus wisely took this time to shoot at the Broker's exposed back, distracting him while Shepard reloaded her SMG.

Zaeed had adapted disruptor ammo on his rifle which helped in thinning out his shield but even after two more rounds of overloads and heavy fire, the yahg managed to get his shield back up again.

"Shit!" The mercenary managed to  _just_ avoid the charging yahg but Garrus wasn't so fortunate as he was knocked to his back and before he could regain his bearing, the Broker had grabbed him and threw him to Zaeed's direction. Both of them collided messily, falling to the ground unceremoniously.

Both men groaned at the sudden attack but before they could do anything, they were under heavy fire. Garrus rolled to the nearest column, shield decimated and he could see the grazes on his armour. Shepard used her overload in order to distract the Broker as Zaeed scrambled off from line of fire but it was only momentary as the yahg charged once more towards Garrus, sending him flying to the wall.

"Garrus!" Shepard cursed when he was grabbed violently by the alien and thrown once more to the column until he fell unconscious, rifle lying on his side.

She needed to come up with a plan. It wasn't looking good for her. They were burning through their stock of thermal clips and there was no telling if the Broker's shield regeneration was infinite or if it was only temporary. It was odd, however. No technology would be advanced enough to be able to recover one's shield in a matter of second. Was he using some sort of external stimulant?

She snapped back into reality soon after. Observe. She had to observe. There must be some way to slow down the regeneration time. But then she realised she didn't have the luxury of doing so as he already turned his attention to the old mercenary, readying to charge again.

"Fuck!" Shepard growled as she emptied her next thermal clip, taking down his shield only to have it replaced again immediately. There was no time to focus on other things. If she did then Zaeed would be taken down too.

The male ran to the other column just when he charged, this time using his overload on him again as Shepard ran towards Garrus to inject medigel into his system, bringing him back to the realm of the conscious.

Both realised that they couldn't spend time discussing strategies, not without having Zaeed killed. So they pointed their guns at the Broker and started firing again.

**Thane Krios**

He had to say that it was quite expected that his siha would request that he stayed behind as he wasn't in his tip-top shape but he wished that she would've allowed him to join her. He found himself unable to shake off the feeling of dread as the door locked behind her and her two companions, red light flashing when before it was green.

His eyes stayed there for a good few minutes as he prayed silently to his gods that she would come back to him safely. She was strong, he understood that much, and she was more than capable of handling herself in battle, but the more affectionate side of him couldn't help but worrying. And now more than ever because she was facing an opponent of unknown strength with a newly recruited mercenary by her side. He trusted Garrus to protect her back, but what if Zaeed had only played them before gunning her down?

He swallowed thickly, chastising himself for not insisting to come with her. If she was hurt, he would blame himself again for not being there for her. He never was when time dawned, how dare he call himself her partner?

His train of thought was disrupted when a muffled scream echoed from behind him, followed with the crackling sound of electricity that brought shiver down his spine. He momentarily recalled the horror that he had associated with that noise, how his hearing had been deafened as his body stretched out in pain.

"Feron!" Thane turned around to see the other drell panting in short gasps. He made his way to his side.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He breathed out tiredly.

"No, you most definitely aren't okay." Thane retorted.

"Keen observation." He chuckled rather humourlessly as he relaxed once more on the seat. "Now that the heroes are fighting for my freedom, why don't we kill time?" At the look at Thane gave him, Feron shrugged. "You know that worrying over her won't help. She's a strong woman. I've seen her fight more than you have, Krios. She's an unstoppable force."

"I know, but I can't help it." He said, finding himself awfully agitated. "She constantly endangers herself for other people's sake without giving much consideration for her own safety and the feelings of others around her. It's very reckless."

Suddenly, Feron chuckled and Thane gave him a questioning look. He hadn't said anything funny. "The last time you say something like that was twenty five years ago." He smiled and the green drell realised what he was talking about. "It's good to see you moving on. When I heard that she passed, I fear that you'd lose it. I know how much she means to you."

"I still love her to this day, Feron." Thane blinked away the sorrow in his eyes at the subtle mention of Irikah. "But I knew I had to move on. She wouldn't want me to live a life of regret, wasting away in battle-sleep."

The drell only smiled thinly. Thane knew that Feron didn't know Irikah as much as he did and it was understandable that he said nothing. "So, Shepard huh?" He asked, this time more mischievously, a shit-eating grin, as Shepard said it, loomed on his lips.

Thane tugged the corner of his lips. "I knew this conversation is bound to happen sooner or later."

"Come on, you have to tell me all about it. There's no way a woman who blazes her shotgun like that could be tame in bed."

"I fail to see why exactly I should disclose our private affair." He bantered good-naturedly and Feron knew that he wasn't being serious.

"Come on. For old time's sake? You still owe me for warning you that security was coming when you broke curfew to make tea in the kitchen."

"That was  _thirty_ years ago. It hardly matters anymore, is it not?"

"Fine, for that time when I saved your girlfriend's ass from some stranded island. You owe me big deal for that, admit it."

"That I cannot escape from." He chuckled softly. "Contrary to the popular belief, Shepard is fairly submissive in bed, from what I have witnessed. I'm not too certain how she acts like with the..." He tried to breathe in his jealousy. "...others."

"If she's feral with the others, then it's the more reason you should be damn proud of yourself, Krios. You can make her putty in your hands whereas they can't. Pretty big achievement there." The younger drell laughed but his face soon turned grim and Thane knew the reason. Gun was blazing inside the room. "Krios, I need your help."

"Yes?"

"I may not be able to unlock this damn machine alone but I can with someone else. You can hack, yes?"

"To some extent." He said, remembering the times where he had to use that particular skill. "No offence intended but, as far as I'm concerned, your hacking skill isn't that much better than mine."

"Ouch." He feigned sadness. "Mind you, I'm much better now. And well, I know the Broker's tech inside out so that helps too. Shepard will have problems fighting him if she doesn't know what he's capable of."

"Tell me what to do."

So he followed Feron's instructions which were simple enough. He only needed to unlock the external barrier that despite being heavily encrypted, he managed to bypass due to his friend's directions. Not too long after that, the handcuffs unclasped and he was free. He ran for the door and set to work to unlock it.

It took time. But he was right, he seemed to know the Broker's tech inside out as he managed to make the red glow into green. As soon as the door opened however, Zaeed was thrown right out and he smashed against the wall, unconscious.

When the two drells regained their composure and turned to look inside, they gasped in horror. Thane would never expected a yahg as the Shadow Broker, and it wasn't the main point. The yahg had Shepard in his hand, lifting her by the neck as she struggled in vanity. Garrus was lying in the corner, blood spilling onto the floor. He tried to prop himself up to no avail and he fell back down.

"Surrender, and I'll grant you a peaceful death." His deep voice echoed in the room and it seemed like he had yet to notice their presence.

"Like..." Shepard tried to take a failing breath. "Like hell..." She tried again. "Go f-fuck yourself!" The human female screamed out as she unleashed her heavy throw right to his gut that made him stagger enough to let his grip loose. She took the chance to pry his hand away and drop to the ground.

Thane felt emotion overflowing in him as he lashed his biotic warp that did no good against shield but enough to give Shepard a chance to breathe. He quickly drew his SMG and aimed at the Broker to give her a covering fire.

"Thane, watch out!" She screamed when the Broker turned his attention to the drell and prepare to charge.

"Shoot above him, Shepard, now!" Feron screamed out as he had no weapon to act on.

The commander's face turned up to see the blue liquid that swirled on the glass and obeyed. She reloaded her SMG and started shooting until the glass cracked and shattered. She then rolled to avoid the liquid as it spilled all over the Broker and weighed him down. Thane wasn't sure what happened but it seemed like the water had mass as it crushed the large yahg underneath it until he stopped moving.

"It's over." Shepard took a deep breath but a split second later, her eyes widened and she ran towards Garrus and injected rubbed medigel on his wounded shoulder to stop the bleeding. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Been better." He chuckled while clutching the wounded part of his body and slowly came to a standing position with Shepard's support.

"At least we're still alive." Shepard smirked, patting him gently on the back. "Oh, Massani!" She quickly said and ran towards the door just in time for the mercenary to stand up. "Knew you'd be a tough cookie to knock out."

"Damn fucking right I am."

"Thane." The commander smiled and ran towards him, enveloping her hands around his waist and he returned the warm gesture.

"Siha, that was reckless." The drell responded and grabbed a medigel from his pocket to apply some to her wounds. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

"Well, I'm glad you came when you did then." She laughed despite the apparent difficulty in breathing. Soon after, she coughed and fell to his shoulder with a huge exasperated sigh. "I need some chocolate"

"Of course, siha."

"And ice cream."

"Anything for you."

"I swear to the spirits, if your next sentence is 'and you' I will shoot myself." Garrus cut their banter short grumpily.

"You should be happy that your gun is out of steam." Shepard grinned at her friend's discomfort as if relishing in it. She probably was. "And I need you too, Thane." She resumed.

"Right now, siha?" He let out a small chuckle at the light-heartedness she displayed after a violent life-or-death situation. "I fear that everyone in this room will try to claw their eyes out."

"Like I give a damn." She laughed and went to claim his lips in a chaste kiss that tasted tangy because of the blood on her lips. "Feron, tell me that the Broker has a nice, comfortable bed for me to have sex on before I do it here." She joked. "Hey, how did you escape?"

The other drell just shrugged as he eyed the large monitor, eyes seeming pensive.

"Is something the matter, Feron?" Thane asked, knowing full well what that look on his face was. He was about to make a big decision and Thane wasn't sure if it involved him trying to take the hat as the next Shadow Broker or not but it was quite likely.

Feron leaned into the large console and suddenly the machine blinked after he typed out some commands to restart itself. When it flickered back to life, noises started to fill the room.

"I received a loss of connection momentarily. Is everything alright, Broker?" "I lost signal. Can you confirm your status, Broker?" "I noticed the flicker. Is the mission still going?"

What seemed like one question at a time suddenly developed into a hundred different people wanting to be answered and Thane couldn't help looking at Feron who was hunched over the machine. Zaeed, Garrus and Shepard also had their eyes on him, anticipating his next movement.

Feron took a deep breath before leaning into the microphone and said. "We were undergoing system update. Return to your designated missions."

There was a short silence before everyone confirmed and logged out, leaving the room quiet once more. He then turned around to face the four other people in the same location. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that."

"Dude, Feron, please do it." Shepard said excitedly. "It'll be nice to have you as the Broker."

"You just want free information." He said flatly and she laughed, scratching the back of her head.

"Guilty as charged, sere. I mean won't it be pretty cool if I have some allegiance with the Broker?" She grinned and Thane couldn't help smiling at her nonchalance.

"Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go to..." Feron answered, still confused whether or not to proceed. "Ah, I believe there's a medical bay not far from here. You should fetch some medigels to patch up your wounds. When you come back, I'll tell you what you want to know. Besides, I need to familiarise myself with this... place. And not to mention drag the old Broker's body somewhere."

"Of course." Thane nodded as he felt his hand being tugged away by his siha and he relented. On the way to the medbay he activated his omnitool and saw plenty of unread messages from Kolyat.

[15/02]  
**KK [1021]** : where did you go??  
**KK [1249]** : dad?  
**KK [2102]** : dad?? Can you at least say something?

[16/02]  
**KK [0854]** : This isn't very funny. Where did you go?? And where's Shepard? She's not answering.  
**KK [0912]** : dad!!!!!!  
**KK [1201]** : **ping**  
**KK [1810]** : Tali told me you're off to face the Broker. The _Broker_. Are you for real??  
**KK [1805]** : Dad, say something!!! I need to know if you're alive at least  
**KK [2322]** : **ping**

The concern showed by his son melted his heart and he found himself smiling. He never thought that the day would come where he would be returned to him and be warm around him again. But it was happening. It was real. He had Shepard to thank for that.

"Someone's worried." Shepard looked behind his shoulder. "Give him a call."

Not wanting to set concern in his son any longer, he initiated a call, fully aware that it was still twilight but Kolyat picked up almost immediately, much to his surprise. But there was only silence from the other line. Thane took a deep breath.

"Kolyat?"

_"It's you."_ His voice was filled with relief and he could hear the sigh that he let out.  _"Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you say something?!"_

"My apologies. Shepard didn't wish to bring you along in this particularly... delicate mission."

_"But you could've said something! No need to turn off your omnitool and make me waste away over here. If it wasn't for Tali, I'd have no clue where you two "_

"Forgive me, my son. But it was a stealth mission and we cannot risk giving our position away." Thane responded grimly, knowing that Kolyat most likely wouldn't take that poor, overused excuse.

His response was a series of grumble.  _"Is Shepard okay?"_

"I'm here, big boy." The commander said straightaway. "And we saved Feron's sorry ass too. We'll head back home after we've got everything wrapped up here so hold on tight. How's the lessons with Tali?"

_"She's overloading my brain."_ Kolyat murmured and Thane noticed Shepard stifling a laughter at the unconscious pun. It would be much funnier if Garrus was the one teaching him. "Sometimes I need to just hold up my hand and tell her to stop otherwise she just won't shut up."

"You gotta admit that she's a great teacher." Shepard argued.

_"Whatever."_ The older drell only smiled as he caught the faint embarrassed subharmonic coming out of his son.  _"Well, at least I know you're in one piece now."_

"You should get some rest, Kolyat."

_"I should."_ Without any proper closing words, he hung up.

Thane switched his attention to Shepard who was smothering her skin with medigel and sighed as they worked their magic. The smaller wounds and bruises all over her faded away in an instant. "Are you hurt anywhere else, siha?"

"Garrus took most of the blows." She said, looking at the turian who was busy injecting medigel into his arm. "I guess his concussive shot was deemed real annoying. Are you okay there, Garrus?" She raised her voice so he would be able to hear her.

"There's enough medigel here to swim in. I'll be fine, Shep."

"And you, Massani?" She turned her head to the old mercenary.

"We need to talk about my fucking pay." He said instantly while rubbing medigel on himself.

"If you're fit enough to think about that, then I guess you're all good." Shepard rolled her eyes but booted up her omnitool anyway. Like Thane, she was suddenly bombarded with messages from Kolyat and some from the others as well. "How does 80,000 credits sound?"

"100,000." Zaeed insisted.

"80,000 or I won't help you with Vido." The commander answered just as firmly as he was.

"Fuck." He only said but accepted his fate anyway. After that matter was sorted, Thane and Shepard made their way upstairs to find Feron again. When they entered, there was a drone following the sought drell.

"The archive you are looking for is coded zero-three-four-beta, Shadow Broker." It said in its synthetic voice.

"Shut up!" Feron yelled, obviously annoyed.

"It is my job to assist you, Shadow Broker." When it noticed Thane and Shepard walking in, it floated towards them. "Welcome, Shadow Broker."

"Uh?" The female looked at Feron who just sighed tiredly.

"It thinks everyone is a Shadow Broker. I wonder if I can just deactivate this thing." He muttered and Shepard chuckled. She walked over to the console on the side and started browsing through the data there while Feron gestured for Thane to come closer.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"Thane, I found something in the Broker's file. About you." He showed him a softcopy on his omnitool and the green-scaled drell tensed upon noticing what it was. The letter that he had typed out a week ago. His farewell note in case his Kepral's spread once more and claiming his life. He couldn't believe the Broker managed to lay a hand on it. "Is it bad?"

"I am surviving on one lung." He said. "Kolyat's."

"A transplant?" He raised one of his eye ridges and looked at the dossier on his omnitool. It did mention a recent lung surgery. "How long?"

"I am unsure, for now. A doctor by the name of Mordin Solus is currently working on the cure and constantly monitors my situation."

"Mordin Solus..." Feron browsed the Broker's databank to find a being under the name and it didn't take long before he found it. "Former salarian special task group?" He scrolled down and squinted.

"He is of a brilliant mind and is trying to do good by researching a cure for the genopage."

"Uhm..." Feron muttered. "It said here that he's the one of the scientists that caused the genopage in the first place."

"Oh." Was his only response.

"But I gotta say, this is some pretty impressive achievement list... look at all his published books." After skimming through the list, he continued. "Why are they all about interspecies intercourse?"

"He has certain... fascinations."

"I don't want to know." The drell shuddered. "Anyway, I'm going to delete this from the record, okay?" He said, referring to the letter that he just saw.

"FERON!" A scream caught both of them by surprise. "Can you transfer this information to me, please? I'll even pay." Shepard said.

"What is it, Shepard?" He walked towards her and saw what the fuss was all about. "Of course."

What she was looking at was a long information about Kepral's syndrome that would potentially, hopefully create a breakthrough.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update because it's holiday and I'm bored out of my mind. Besides, my plot bunnies are running so why not!  
> I can't believe the kudos are still coming!! I appreciate it, you guys. Hopefully this fluff of a chapter will be a good read too. ~~I had so much fun writing Zaeed. Gosh I love that angry space grandpa.[Also my tumblr if you're curious](http://mofochika.tumblr.com/).~~

**Thane Krios**

It had been approximately three weeks after the whole incident with the Broker. They also have sorted Zaeed's revenge on Vido smoothly. Shepard handed the information to Mordin who nodded and muttered 'fascinating'. There had been no words from him until now but Thane had another problem to worry about.

His usually vibrant siha who would wake up early in the morning to watch Kolyat and he spar was still curled up underneath the pile of blanket. She hadn't even touched the perfected bacon and egg breakfast that he made, and not even the smell of coffee could make her sit up. She wouldn't stop stirring and groaning uncomfortably, refusing to talk at all.

The drell sat on the edge of the bed, watching her turning away from him. Thane extended his hand to stroke her hair softly, something that he knew she enjoyed and he wasn't wrong. She didn't shy away from the contact. “Siha, is something the matter?”

He was answered with another displeased rumble and a shift in position. Only then Thane noticed the beads of sweat and her pained expression. He placed his hand on her forehead for safety measure but quickly noticed that she didn't have any fever. But when she curled up into a foetal position, hands clutched on her stomach tightly, he realised what was happening.

“A stomach ache? Was it the dinner?” He asked in concern, hoping that it wasn't the case. He wished no harm upon her and was sure she understood that much. When she shook her head, he was partly relieved although the worry returned since he wasn't able to identify the source of her sickness. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Unless you're planning to kill me, no.” With her voice strained and muffled, someone who didn't know her would take her seriously.

After understanding that she wouldn't accept any of his help, he sighed and left but not before landing one small kiss on her forehead in hope of comforting her. It was odd, he decided. She was acting completely fine yesterday night but today everything just came apart. He slowly walked towards the bathroom but quickly noticed the drops of blood on the floor around the toilet bowl and alert settled inside him. When he opened the small bin, he found tissues full of blood and he immediately chastised himself.

He had gone a little rough last night during their love making, and could it be that he had hurt her unintentionally? From how thing had been proceeding between them, it was not difficult to forget that they were different species with varying biology. Perhaps her insides had been too sensitive to accommodate a drell.

However, her reluctance to discuss this matter made Thane think twice before confronting it head on. Perhaps she was embarrassed—laughable, of course. It was hardly her fault. If anything, he should be the one ashamed for not taking her well-being into consideration.

Thane walked outside tentatively before settling next to his siha who was still clutching her stomach again. “Siha, I will call doctor Solus to check you up.”

“No!” She immediately snapped, eyes wide open. “No, no, no!”

“Siha—“

“Noooo!” She dragged out her tone to emphasise her point. “Goddamit, Thane! Just let me suffer in agony for a few hours and I'll be back to normal.”

“Siha, I cannot possibly leave you alone.” He tried to sound calm although his voice betrayed him. When it came to her, he would never be able to look away, pretending like he held no concern over her health. He wanted to help her in any way he possibly could, especially knowing that it was his wrongdoing that caused her such pain.

“There's nothing you can do for me, Thane.” She insisted all while still in her foetal position, then she turned her back on him. “In fact, no one can do anything for me.”

“You need not be ashamed, my siha. In fact, it is I who should feel so.”

“Well… thanks for rubbing salt on my wound.” Her voice was hoarse and if it wasn't for the obvious sarcastic tone, Thane wouldn't have thought that he had hit a sore spot, somehow. He was unfamiliar with the saying but he could only assume that it wasn't a pleasing one.

“I'm sorry if I have offended you. It's not my intention.” Thane muttered in uncertainty before falling silent. He then rubbed her head gently for a few moments, then he sighed and left the bedroom. Once settled in the living room, he saw Garrus and Kolyat watching Blasto on the TV. Zaeed was also present and he wasn't surprised at all. The old mercenary made it a habit to drop by every now and then since he claimed that Shepard's apartment was comfortable. The commander allowed him to borrow the guest room since he helped with Kolyat's weaponry training too.

“Hey, Krios!” The turian waved energetically. “Why the long face?”

“Pardon?”

“You've been around her too fucking long. It's just another way of asking someone why they look like their filthy pet varren just got ran over by a Mako.”

“How… intriguing.” He cocked his head to the side but decided to settle next to the them anyway. “I am a failure as a partner.”

“What, you can't keep her satisfied in bed or something?” Zaeed let out a throaty chuckle, mischief dancing in his eyes, well the functional one at least. “Give me one night and she'll be as good as new.” The drell glared at the man and he shrugged. “Can't you take a joke?”

“That's the sort of joke that'll make your head face somewhere it's not supposed to.” Garrus said dryly.

Thane chose to take a deep breath, ignoring the remark. “I neglected to consider the difference in our biology and might have hurt her during our… intercourse.”

There was a long silence before Kolyat stood up, frills expanding and folds turning bright red. “Goodbye!” He screamed out and fled the scene before any of the other two could react.

“Well, look at what you've done to the poor boy. He'll never be able to unhear. Literally.” Garrus commented. “But anyway, going back to your point. I don't think anything you lash out will be too much for her, honestly. I mean, she's also done it with Nihlus and us turians… well, let's just say that… we're rough. In more ways than one.”

Another silence before Thane cleared his throat, unsure of how to respond to such graphic description. “However, what I found claim otherwise. She is in tremendous pain and when I went to the bathroom, there was...” He shivered. “Blood.”

“Extreme pain.” Garrus noted. “And blood.” He nodded before grinning. “I heard Tali is having problems with some unruly krogans… Perhaps today is a great day to talk to Shepard about it.” Zaeed let out a loud laugh next to him.

“I do not understand how that connects to this.” Thane remarked impatiently. He had no time for games and snarkiness, not when his siha was cowering in pain. “Garrus, if you do not have the intention to lend me a hand then perhaps—“

“No!” The mercenary chuckled throatily before grabbing the glass of whiskey in front of him. “Biology course from Zaeed Massani. You better be taking notes, Krios. What you saw there is a monthly cycle of a human female. Called menstruation. The fact that you're standing here in one piece, no bruises tells me that she's so fucking fond of you that she decided not to punch you into another fucking galaxy.”

“I'm… sorry? I'm afraid I don't understand.”

Garrus decided to continue. “You see, when human females enter this monthly cycle, they tend to be awfully short-tempered, perhaps due to the pain they experience. And short-tempered Jane means trouble. I've seen her gouge a Krogan's eyes with her bare hands and pummel him to death with her shotgun during a mission for standing between her and the toilet. Wasn't the prettiest sight ever, but I gotta say, if the reapers ever try to invade the galaxy during the time of her menstruation, they all will be obliterated.”

“I would kill to see that.” Zaeed grinned, letting out another breathy laugh.

“I… see...” He said, puzzled being an understatement of the feeling he experienced. “And the blood?”

“Yeah, it'll keep coming for around four to seven days. So unless you want your cock to come out like it just killed a man, no fucking.”

“So it wasn't my doing?” Thane's eyes glimmered in relief at the information although he couldn't shake off the concern for his love.

“Nope. Not at all.” Garrus grinned. “Your best bet is chocolate. Or something warm. She likes your tea, right? Maybe brew her a cup.”

“Or you can leave it to another human to comfort his fellow species.” Zaeed gave him a teethy smirk and Thane had to refrain himself from grabbing his head and smashing it against the coffee table.

“I have another question.” Thane said. “What does it mean to 'rub salt on my wound'?”

“You see, when we have an open cut and you sprinkle salt on it, it's _fucking_ painful, like if you pour alcohol on it, but alcohol is much better in the mouth rather than your skin. Anyway it hurts like ass, just like papercut. Don't even get me started on goddamn _fucking_ papercut.” Zaeed grunted in displeasure.

“Are you saying humans can actually get hurt from a harmless piece of paper?” Garrus's mandibles flared and he wasn't even trying to hide his amusement.

“Fuck off, turian! I'll get a piece of metal and slice you with it then you know what it feels like.”

Thane nodded and expressed his gratitude before withdrawing into the kitchen in order to make her a cup of tea, as suggested. Garrus and Zaeed had gotten increasingly closer but Thane himself wasn't particularly so. Perhaps it was because he had, more often than once, tried to blatantly flirt with Shepard. And much to his dismay, the human commander only laughed but not straight out reject his advances.

“Siha, I brought you a cup of tea.” He said, peeking from behind the door before settling it gently on the nightstand.

“Gimme!” She lurched forward to grab the handle and sipped it, then yelped. “Hot!”

“Be careful.” He chuckled softly, sitting down next to her and blowing the steam off. Sometimes he forgot that humans were more sensitive, even their tongues. It was amazing how they managed to have a considerably powerful army despite this fatal flaw. “Are you feeling better, siha?”

“Meh.” She shrugged. “But thanks for the tea. It's as good as ever.” Shepard smiled, landing a chaste kiss above his frills. “Sorry for earlier. I'm just on my period.”

“Period?” He cocked his head to the side.

“It's a monthly thing for us girls and well, uh...” She looked down while rubbing the back of her head, seemingly unsure of how to proceed.

Thane smiled before taking her hand in his. “I know, siha.”

Still refusing to lift her head up, her eyes shifted to take him into view bashfully. “You do?” She mumbled. “It's gross, isn't it?”

“Hardly.” He said. “It's a natural process, why should I feel distraught by it? It's much like asking if my molting bothers you.”

“Heh. I guess.” She laughed quietly. “It sounds cool if anything.” Thane nodded, glad that she looked like she was feeling better. “It's just, some guys get really freaked out over this. Glad you're not.”

“What, that human females excrete blood for seven days and have to deal with excruciating pain on a monthly basis? I'd say your males are a bunch of cowards.” He joked.

“See, this is why I love you.” Shepard did a face-splitting grin before she withdrew her hand from Thane's to slap her mouth with it. “I mean… uh...” She stammered at the blurt of word.

He had to admit that he was taken aback by the confession although his heart did a joyful leap at it. However, instead of commenting, he merely smiled and placed his hand on her cheek. “Is that the truth?”

Shepard looked away instantly and stayed quiet for a long while as if that would make Thane withdraw his question. After she realised that he wasn't going to, she groaned. “Never pegged you for a sadist, Thane! Yes, yes. I mean it.” She curled her nose, pouting. “Happy?”

“Perhaps if you say it one more time.” He purred with a voice that was usually reserved during intercourse, a voice that was guaranteed to make her melt in his arms. “And I want you to look into my eyes as you do.” He cupped her cheek with his other hand and moved her face gently so they were face to face.

“Utter sadist! Unbelievable!” She sulked, cheeks turning red and he could feel it heating up under his touch.

“Then you are a masochist for wanting to be with me, siha.”

“Smart-mouthed ass.” She said. “Yes, I'm the biggest masochist ever for loving you.” Shepard grumbled before she relaxed. “I love you, Thane Krios.”

“And I love you, my siha.” A smile grew on his lips, perhaps the biggest he had ever given her and he could tell by the way her eyes seemed to shine. “More than you can ever imagine.”

He would never have imagined that he would come to feel the same amount of love towards another after Irikah. She was his sky, his ocean, his air. She had been everything for him and when he lost her he thought that he would also lose himself. And it was true. He had been lost for so long, torturing himself with the bitter truth that he had failed his family that he loved so much, the family that he would gladly give his life for.

That was until Shepard found him and gave him another chance at happiness. She woke him from his battle sleep, returned Kolyat to him and made him feel what he thought he would never feel for another. It was all thanks to her that he could see the silver lining beyond the storm, meeting so many people who cared for him, who treated him like he was their equal. People who he was proud to claim as friends.

And he would stop at nothing to make sure that her heart was safe with him. He vowed to himself and to the gods that he would not take her feelings for granted, that he would continue to protect her to the best of his ability until his last breath. He also wouldn't do any less for his son, Kolyat, who unconditionally gave one of his lungs for him so he could live longer with the ones he loved.

“Well… now that the mushy part is over...” She started, snapping him back to reality. “I need to enjoy your tea before it gets too cold.”

“I'm crushed, siha. You prefer to indulge in tea over me? Is your love for it greater than the one you hold for me?”

“Ass.” She laughed, elbowing him on the ribs gently.

“I see you are as refined as you are powerful. How exhilarating.”

“Sarcastic bastard!” She choked on her tea. “What happened to the polite drell who wouldn't stop apologising and calling me mistress?!”

“I believe you slept with him, giving him a much-needed confidence boost, perhaps in an unnecessarily large dose.” He smiled before leaning in to capture her lips in a fiery kiss that drew a moan from her throat. When they were out of breath, Thane surprised himself by being able to not further advance. They only smiled afterwards, enjoying each other's presence. Shepard broke the ice soon after.

“Thane, I've got a curious question.” She pursed her lips.

“Ask away, siha.” He said, but he knew that whatever was coming would be far from serious judging by the twinkle in her eyes.

“In your species… are you considered hot?” She asked, one hand idly rubbing his exposed chest.

Hot. It was one of those impalpable human colloquialism for sexy. He shook his head at the out of nowhere nature of the question but expected from his siha. “'Hot' isn't exactly a word that would accurately describe me.” He chuckled before leaning in and biting her earlobe. “Perhaps 'handsome' is the term you are looking for.”

Shepard's face turned beet red and she immediately yelped. Thane chuckled at her reaction and it was answered with one solid pillow to the face. “That's just _unfair_!” She pouted but when the drell started laughing, she settled next to him again anyway.

“Feron, in the other hand, is closer to sexy than I.”

“Is it his scales colour?” She inquired once more and Thane nodded. “In human culture, a lot of colours imply childishness.”

“Fascinating.” He commented, surprised by the drastic interpretation.

“What about Kolyat?”

“You'll be pleased that he would be considered cute.” Thane answered and he could see Shepard's smile widening. “You know how much he hates being called that, siha.”

“I know!” She said. “He gets angry. Sadly for him it just makes him cuter.”

“What will I ever do with you, siha.” He shook his head although couldn't suppress a smile.

**Jane Shepard**

Zaeed had been kind enough to take over Kolyat's training while she took a rest. As a replacement, he started to help Nihlus around again in the office to sort out some leftover spectre shenanigans. However when she came back in a hundred percent form to check on Kolyat, she would never have guessed that a certain someone had been teaching him in the art of sneaking. And no, it wasn't Thane.

“Kasumi, what are you doing to my sweet summer child, a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all cost?” She crossed her arms when Kolyat shimmered back into view.

“I'm 20 years old, Shepard.” He complained.

“I know, so young, so cute.” She couldn't hold back a smile of adoration. Shepard knew exactly how much Kolyat hated to be called 'cute' but she just couldn't help it. When he threw a tantrum, he just became so much cuter.

“Hey, Shep!” She called out sweetly like she had done nothing wrong. “Come on, sneaking around is a handy skill if you need hot gossip to blackmail people! Okay, no. I mean since he doesn't like to have a physical fight, I thought this'll be useful. Kolyat also didn't have any objections, did you, Kol?”

“Will I have to worry about disappearing Kolyat?” She cocked one of her eyebrows when the thief shrugged nonchalantly. “How long has it been?”

“Long.” Kasumi merely said. “His father will be so proud of him.”

“Yeah, I think you and I need to have a proper talk, Kasumi.” She remarked.

“Aw, Shepard! You're like an overprotective mother. That is _so_ cute.”

“She is _not_ my mother!” Kolyat blurted out spontaneously, frills expanding in embarrassment.

“She's well on her way. I'm waiting for the wedding invitation, Shep.”

“Funny, Kasumi!” Shepard said, couldn't help heat from flowing to her cheeks. After all those time, she still couldn't get used to the teasing from her friends regarding her relationship with Thane. “Well, but I guess if this whole sneaking business will help then...”

“It will.” The drell said confidently. “I mean what could be better than hiding and letting your drones do all the job? It beats taking bullets to your shields, that's for sure.”

The commander laughed at the comment and couldn't agree more. It would be nice to not be the centre of attention in a gunfight. Nevertheless, it had never been her style to hide from action. If Kolyat managed to master the art of sneaking like Kasumi and Thane, she might endorse him to Feron to be one of his agents. His drones would be extremely useful at eavesdropping.

“Looks like I got your blessing.” The other female grinned before fleeing the scene in a shimmer.

Shepard shook her head but couldn't keep a smile off her face before she sighed. “Come on, Kol. Wanna get lunch? On me.”

“Why not.” He answered and followed Shepard outside to the Commons. Once they were seated, Kolyat opened his mouth. “How are things going with father?”

The small talks with him never ceased to warm her heart and now was no different as she smiled at the inquiry. “Good!” She beamed. “Yesterday he helped around with sorting out that ridiculous report about some hanar. I really don't know how to interact with one but your dad is amazing.”

“Any news from Mordin?” He asked while scanning the menu in front of him.

“Not yet. He's busy dividing time between Kepral's and the genophage cure. Besides, I'm confident that if anyone can make a breakthrough, it's him.” She said, hailing the waiter to order. Once that was sorted out, they resumed. “And how's Zaeed treating you?”

“Just take him away from me. I feel like my ears are gonna break from the screaming.”

Shepard chuckled at the coment. “So you found your way around a gun yet?” She grinned but at the look Kolyat gave her, she took a deep breath. “What's wrong, Kol?”

“I just...” He trailed off, looking at anywhere but her. “I've had bad experience with guns.”

“Wanna talk to me about it?” She asked softly, not wanting to stick her nose where she didn't belong.

“Maybe later when there's no reporters trying to get hot new gossip on Commander Shepard and her drell companion.” Kolyat announced loudly, not-so-subtly hinting at the mass of people suddenly sitting all around them. The addressed beings immediately looked away in unison, emphasising his point.

Shepard couldn't hold back a big snort. “I'm so proud of you.”

So they ate while discussing casual, non-sensitive matters. They wouldn't stop chatting just because there were creeps trying to prod into their lives. If anything, she wanted to prove that she shared legitimate bond with him and that her scandal with a drell wasn't just her trying to rake up attention. It seemed to be working so far as she saw there were less and less violence against the species in Citadel, at least.

She remembered when a drell outside a convenience store couldn't keep his eyes off her, mouth agape in wonder. When she approached him to talk, he babbled before thanking her a thousand times. He said that it was because of her that his master who idolised Commander Shepard stopped treating him like utter garbage. Although still not allowed to be off the leash, he no longer suffer from abuse. He also showed the fading scars on his hand and feet before asking if he could shake her hand. And god help her, he looked so exuberant like he just won the lottery.

A week ago Feron also contacted her to express his gratitude. His agents—yes, _his_ agent, the Broker's agents reported that there had been a constant decrease in drell violence and transaction ever since the video of her dance with Thane in the bar had spread like wildfire. So now instead of telling the paparazzis to scram, she let them be.

She also had solved the mystery of Thane's love for her cooking and not for his own, when it came to human food at least! Apparently, her rather… creative way of spicing things up was par with delicately-made food in drell cuisine. Because when she took both Thane and Kolyat to an expensive restaurant to taste the human food there, she ended up eating their share. And when she cooked, both of them absolutely loved it and demanded second. Odd how it worked but hey, she was happy. Because for once she wasn't accused of trying to poison anyone.

When they finished eating, they made their way to Huerta to see an update on Thane's condition. Today was his check-up and Kolyat too, just in case.

“Shepard! Good timing. Just finished tests.” He said while typing away. Behind him, Thane just finished getting dressed and he smiled at her. She returned the gesture. “Latest medicine proved to be effective! Doesn't cure but suppress. The division of infectious cells severely restricted by at least three times! Shouldn't be any side effects. If anything comes up, report immediately. Will come as soon as possible. Information fetched extremely useful.” He babbled on before pulling up some diagram on the screen.

“Good job, doc!” She grinned before focusing on the images.

“Been monitoring the cell meticulously. Here's the development from week one, two and three. Can see the difference, yes?” He changed the picture again. “Here's one before the medication. Can see black spot. Kepral's re-developing. Very concerning.” Mordin took a deep breath, then he smiled. “This is two weeks after medication. Rate of increase, minute!”

“Man, if I could kiss you, I would, Mordin.” Shepard practically squealed at the information.

“No, no, no. No kiss. Kiss Thane instead.” The doctor joked.

“Disgusting.” Kolyat commented dryly which was responded with laughter.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Thane said with a small smile. After getting Kolyat checked-up, they headed home in a skycar.

“Shepard, I still owe you an explanation.” The younger drell said which got her attention. She had forgotten all about it and was glad that he reminded her. Upon the statement, Thane tilted his head to the side. Kolyat shut his eyes tightly before opening them again. “I told you that my old master, well, uh… didn't start being really abusive until the last two years.”

Noticing what he wanted to say, both Thane and Shepard nodded in understanding. Shepard was still focused on the steering wheel but she could see Thane trying to reassure his son.

“Didn't think it'd be this hard.” He took a deep breath.

“Take your time, son.” The older drell said.

Kolyat nodded and soon he continued. “Sometimes… he would point a gun at me, threaten to shoot me if I don't do what he told me or if I scream too loudly.” He paused and Shepard felt her stomach clenching in anger. “He did. A couple of times. Not something that I couldn't recover from, of course. But… it was painful.”

Thane who was sitting next to Shepard on the front row turned his head to give Kolyat his full attention. He said nothing, merely urging him to finish his story although the look on his face was quite pitiful.

“And then...” The teal-scaled man looked at his father. “Then you almost died because of a gun. It's like I have no good memory when it comes to guns. Whenever I hold one, my hand trembles. If I fire it and it hits someone… well, it would hurt them. I know how it feels to be on the receiving end. So I just can't… can't pull the trigger without shaking and losing my aim.” He confessed with vividly quivering voice.

Thane moved to the back row so quickly after that to wrap his son in a deep hug. “I'm sorry, Kolyat.”

“You've got nothing to be sorry of, dad.” He said. “It's not your fault.”

Shepard couldn't contain the emotion in her chest and if she could autopilot the car without risking it hitting a truck then she would jump back and hug the boy too. He was much too young to be facing horrifying experience like that and it only made her more determined to vanquish the inequality.

But now that she understood the reason why he strongly refused to handle a gun, she had a better idea of how to approach the training. As tough as it would be, she couldn't just stop there. He still needed the experience in case of the worst. Call her cold but he couldn't forever live in fear of guns, something that was so universal almost everyone had one in their pockets. She would need to talk to Thane about it. Hopefully he would agree with her decision


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting into ME3! I won't be explaining EVERYTHING in detail, of course. That'd just be boring and redundant. So I'll just go through the AU aspects.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting always! I'm planning on ending everything within 3-5 chapters without seeming rushed since I feel like this story has strayed from its original purpose (OOPS)! But I can't help it, I just want them to have the happy ending they deserve in ME3 ;_;

**Jane Shepard**

It was summer back on Earth and Shepard hated it. Usually prancing around in her armour, her skin never felt the truly vicious sun burning it. But now she wondered if going home was a choice but apparently not if the look of excitement on Kolyat's face was to be considered. Even Thane's eyes seemed to glimmer, both drells' skins shining like snakes that just finished shedding.

It hadn't been fifteen minutes since they lined up on the entrance of a famous amusement park and she was already sweating like a pig, and probably smelt like one too. Despite the fact that she was only wearing white tank top and shorts, she couldn't help fanning herself like it would help. It didn't. Because what's a hand to a sun.

“Siha, is everything alright?” Thane noticed her distress and moved next to her. He did an excellent job of maintaining poker face although they undoubtedly became the centre of the attention. Because Commander Shepard, Hero of Citadel was there. Oh and the kicker of Collector's ass too. Using the information that Feron could lay his dirty little Shadow Broker hands on (gods, he hated it when she said that), her team managed to pass through Omega-4 Relay.

Of course it was all done without the Alliance's permission so after it was all done, she was grounded. Luckily for her team members, she foresaw this and let them off before she heeded the call to Earth. Thane, however, refused to leave her alone and Kolyat too, surprisingly. Both of them remained there for now with her.

Mordin also found a way to further slow down the development of Thane's Kepral and though he was still living on one lung, he didn't have troubles breathing. Then she decided that a vacation was long overdue. So she sneaked out of the Alliance base with Thane's help. When Shepard told Kolyat what an amusement park was, he seemed to be extremely excited. Well, being the Kolyat he was, he tried his best to not let it show but it was Shepard he was talking to. She had to deal with Thane's infuriatingly flawless poker face for over a year so reading the boy was a piece of cake.

“I _sweat_ and become _smelly_ in the sun. But you? You fucking shine.” She hissed with her arms crossed, putting the blame on biology. When Thane discreetly glanced at Kolyat's direction, Shepard sighed before saying softly. “I know. No turning back.”

The drell only gave her low chuckle as a response and they had to wait for another 15 minutes. She had to continuously scan her surroundings for any familiar faces marching to take them back to the base but so far no sign of anyone yet so that was a good news.

When they got their tickets, Thane and Shepard started looking at the map they were given to choose what to ride first. She had never been a huge fan of roller coasters but she wasn't exactly scared of them. It was just she'd rather ride them later rather than now.

“Shepard, come on!” Kolyat raised his voice, insisting on the roller coaster first and she just rolled her eyes.

“I'm telling you, it's better if we go with something mild first before having our stomach churned upside down. Look, the bumper car is nice. Besides we can team up to crush your father.” She said, pointing at the map and completely ignoring the snide chuckle from beside her. “Cocky ass!” She sulked. No matter how many times Kolyat and her would attack him in unison during one of their spars, never once had they knocked Thane flat on his ass like he had done countless of times to them.

“I want to ride the coaster first!” He said, pulling a goggly-eyed look on her.

“Oh no, don't give me the kicked puppy face, Kolyat. Just don't. Oh my god.” She groaned at the pleading look the boy had. He knew exactly how effective it was and wasn't afraid of doing it whenever things wasn't going his way. “Okay. Alright. Alright! I get it, I get it! Thane, don't you dare laugh! He's way too manipulative.” Shepard complained although ultimately let herself follow Kolyat.

By the time they finished the ride, Kolyat looked absolutely ecstatic for second round, Shepard almost facepalmed herself and Thane looked like he was going to throw up any moment soon.

“Looks like I've found the big bad assassin's weakness.” She cooed when she saw him staggering slightly.

“Fortunately for me, combat on a roller coaster is strictly against the regulation.”

“Yeah, but it's not like the Alliance is gonna hold their horses when they see _us_ on roller coasters.” She rolled her eyes before grabbing Thane's hand and dragging him forward to go after Kolyat who was already metres away from them, obviously pumped up for the next.

“Shepard, what else is good?” He asked once she caught up.

“Since you're so eager to die, might I suggest the pendulum ride? It's the scariest if you sit on the very back.” She said, browsing the map on hand. “Drop tower is pretty hardcore too. Looks like it's the closest from our location so let's go there.”

“Alright!” They made their way to the site and Kolyat seemed to feed on the screams of agony of the riders. Shepard had to take a deep breath in order to prepare herself mentally and it seemed like Thane was trying to accomplish the same thing although failing epically.

“Siha, I—“

“Yes, Thane. Of course you're coming with us.” She responded, giving him the sweetest smile that she possibly could while one hand jabbed forward to grab his.

“Kolyat—“ He turned his head to face his son.

“Dad, come on. It'll be fun!” Kolyat grinned, possibly one of the biggest that Shepard had ever seen and she found herself smiling at his elation. “If you're not coming then I'll steal Shepard and head somewhere where you can't find us.” He said, expression completely deadpan. It seemed like he had learned one or two things from his father and Shepard wasn't sure whether to be glad or not.

“I believe that was a challenge.” Thane responded with the equal amount of expression. And so all three of them went to the drop tower and pendulum ride. Shepard pitied her boyfriend as he came out with pale scales and had to excuse himself to the bathroom. She would never imagined him to not be able to tolerate rides like those. She thought he would just give her a complete poker face and not make any noise but clearly she was wrong. She even purchased a commemorative photograph of Thane seemed so very light-headed on the ride. It was definitely going to be framed.

As they wait for Thane to emerge from the bathroom, she took the liberty to get a cotton candy, something that she hadn't eaten for years. Kolyat seemed to dislike the taste but was absolutely enraptured by the texture, how it melted inside his mouth.

After that, they went to Bumper Car where Kolyat and Shepard teamed up to absolutely decimate Thane before getting lunch and getting on a few more rides. They even got chased by some soldiers from Alliance but managed to outrun them, no thanks to the crowd on Thane and Kolyat part. The kid was becoming awfully good at sneaking after half a year of rigorous training.

It was late after that and the park was closing soon. People were starting to clear out when they got to the carousel. It was hilarious because Shepard hadn't explained what horses were, especially the pink one with a horn that Kolyat was riding. She chose a majestic pegasus that she rode with Thane while the boy complained how it was boring and how she wouldn't stop laughing at him for some reason. The image of a drell riding a unicorn was too funny to pass.

Finally they got to the merry-go-round which Kolyat refused to go on. He sat down there while snacking on milkshake while the other two got on.

“I'm beat!” She laughed when they started moving, rewarded with a smile from Thane.

“Remind me to never agree to this trip again. I fear I've had enough of being thrown around to last a lifetime.”

“I dunno, it's pretty fun to see you losing to us in something.”

“Ruthless, siha.” He chuckled and Shepard grinned. Damn that breathy voice, she would never get used to it.

She hummed while leaning on his shoulder to admire that increasingly enchanting view of the amusement park. When they got to the top she had to suppress a breath of astonishment at something she hadn't seen for such a long while. “Oh boy, I forgot how good this place looks from the top.” She grinned, putting both of her hands on the glass. “And it seems like Kolyat is finally caught by Vega.” She looked at the boy down there with a bunch of alliance soldiers in front of him. She made a mental note to apologise later.

“What's the worst they can do?” Thane smiled while looking at what she had her eyes on. “But I agree, it's a breathtaking view although you are more so.”

“Flatterer.” She playfully hit him on the head and leaned back into his chest to feel his pounding heart against her. “Thane, your heart's hammering. Am I making you nervous?” She teased.

Thane placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her away lightly. “Perhaps,” He smiled before getting to his feet and stepped in front of her, drawing a questioning look.

When he got on one knee, however, it was her turn to have her heart pounding loudly and quickly. He wasn't about to do what she thought he would, was he? It had been about a year since their relationship had been established and well, she would be lying if she said that she never imagined this day.

But apparently he was doing exactly what she had in mind as he showed her one small red box that he opened slowly. Inside was a gold ring with a glittering stone on top of it that reminded her of diamond, but again she had never been good at distinguishing between ores.

“Siha, will you accept my selfish request?” He whispered uncharacteristically nervously as he visibly struggled to keep an eye contact with her. “Will you... ah, marry me?”

Shepard couldn't even breathe when that question was flung at her direction. She covered her mouth with both of her hands as warmth enveloped her heart and her body. She nodded after a moment of silence, unable to think of anything beautiful to say to him.

“Are you kidding me, Thane?” She whispered. “Of course I will. Yes. Yes! Holy shit.” She stammered. His eyes immediately relaxed at her approval and he sighed in relief, completely forgetting to slide the ring on her fingers. “Come on, I think you have one more thing to do!” Shepard chuckled, waving her hands at him.

“Ah, yes. Of course.” He breathed out as he took the ring and slid it on her ring finger. “This is a gemstone from Rakhana.” He started while Shepard admired the shimmering jewel. “It is known for its strength and beauty that made it considerably sought after luxury item. In old lores, it is said that in the possession of a worthy being, it will continuously protect them from harm, much like a charm in human culture.”

“It's gorgeous.” She said, couldn't keep a huge smile away from her face and nor that she wanted to. It was undoubtedly the happiest she had been in her entire life. “Thank you, Thane.” Landing a kiss on his lips, the drell let out a soft purr of contentment.

“I love you, my siha.” He whispered inbetween their kiss.

“Me too, Thane. You can't imagine how happy you've made me.” As she said that, the door opened next to them and they immediately separated to see Lt. James Vega saluting her and a dozen of other soldiers behind him doing the same. Even Kaidan was there, Major Alenko, she had to keep telling herself.

“Lt. Major.” She nodded at both men in recognition with guilt absent in her face.

“You've been summoned by the council in Alliance HQ, Shepard.” Kaidan regarded before cocking his head to the side. “Why do you look… so ecstatic?”

“Trust me, it's not because of the council.” She said, letting out a snort. “So what's it about? They finally decided to reinstate me or something? Can that wait for a bit?” The skycar parked in front of them and Vega, Kaidan, Thane, Kolyat and herself walked inside.

“We have reports of attacks on sector fifteen. Our army is being decimated and vastly outnumbered. They're closing in on the HQ and they need you right now.”

Shepard's eyes widened and her eyes snapped to the side to face Vega. Could her greatest fear be true? Why now of all time? She just got proposed, for god's sake! Couldn't the reaper wait for another week? “And only now they decided that they need me? I warned them about this for years and no one even listened!”

“They were scared, Shepard.” Kaidan said as the car quickly made its way to the HQ. “Only the ones who came with you in the Normandy during the whole Saren and Collector business knows that they're a tangible thing.”

“And all those testimonials aren't enough, apparently. Now of course they need me to swoop in and save their asses after keeping me grounded for _months_. Now all of the fucking time! When someone just proposed to me!” There was an uncomfortable silence as Shepard gradually realised what she just said. Kolyat was looking at her like he saw a ghost of his mother. Both Vega and Kaidan also froze, neither saying a thing. Thane only sighed.

“Dad, you told me you'll wait!” The younger drell exclaimed, shattering the ice that grew inside the car.

“Wha—Kolyat, you _know_?!” Shepard yelped at the possibly accidental confession.

“His subharmonic is _ridiculously_ annoying and I just know something was up. How do you think he knows how to propose to a human? I saw the records of his net browsing and overheard him talking to Feron about it!”

“Thane, holy shit,” The human was unsure whether to laugh or to squint at this point. “You consult a Shado—I mean, you asked _Feron_ how to propose human-style?”

“I was uncertain, siha. I did not want to risk offending you or unconsciously stepping into cultural taboo. And I have to admit that after all that preparation, it came out quite abrupt.”

“Damn, Shep.” Kaidan looked back and shot her a soft smile. “I'm so happy for you. Congratulations. I have to admit that initially I was quite sceptical of your relationship. I mean, you _hate_ being crowded by reporters and this, well, it's practically a scandal. It's like a fodder for them.” He continued. “But wow, hats off to you, Shep. I'm pretty sure you played a huge role in slowly raising awareness for drell rights because of this.”

Kolyat scoffed with his arms crossed while leaning back on the seat. “Me too. I thought you two will break it after a few months considering how disgustingly lovey-dovey you've been. And I have to say that your personalities don't match at all. It's a miracle that you can still stand each other.”

“Oh, geez, thanks for the support, Kol.” Shepard rolled her eyes but proceeded to poke him on the nose. “You know, you need positive and negative ends of the magnets to make two stick. Relationships don't work if you've got both parties being selfish or overly calm.”

“I'm _still_ not going to call you 'mom'.” He sunk lower on the seat, facing away from her.

“And by that he means congratulations.” Thane chipped in, followed with his son's low grumble.

Soon after, the car came to a halt in front of the HQ which was already engulfed in flames. All five soldiers immediately exited to see that the building had been mostly destroyed and the council undoubtedly beyond saving. As if on cue, Anderson appeared in front of them, saying that he had relayed a message to the Normandy to rescue them before the reapers returned.

They made their way to the LZ with their guns blazing. Vega and Shepard drew the enemy's fire while Kolyat tried to reduce the damage that they were getting by using his combat drone, stunning the opponents. Thane provided covering fire with his sniper rifle. Anderson and Kaidan watched their backs until the Normandy arrived, killing off any leftover foes.

By the end of the fight, Shepard was reinstated and Anderson chose to remain on Earth to help defend it against the decimating force. They flew to Mars to investigate the intel Admiral Hackett forwarded to them regarding a blueprint of a Prothean device that was discovered by Shepard's asari friend, Liara T'soni. They had to fight an army of Cerberus soldiers and chased down the stolen data. As a result, Kaidan became gravely wounded.

They landed in Citadel afterwards to ensure that he got the best care in the hospital while the commander talked to the Council about gaining their support with Nihlus supporting her cause. They were sent to Palaven where Shepard assumed the worst when they saw that the planet was under heavy attack. But it was a mighty good thing that her prayer was answered when Garrus emerged, completely unscathed.

Needless to say that Shepard was exhausted by the end of the day. She laid on the bed, burying her face deep in the pillow. “Fuck this.” She said, completely muffled. “This isn't how I expected the rest of my day to go like.”

“We all know that they were going to come sooner or later.” Nihlus said while reading through reports of turian military on his omnitool on Shepard's sofa. “They're cutting through our troops like they're butter.”

If only the situation wasn't so grim, she would've laughed at yet another of the human simile that he used but of course she wasn't that insensitive. He might not view Palaven as a home but it was his people getting killed. She took a sitting position on the bed, looking at her friend. “I'm sorry, Nihlus.”

“And I'm sorry for Earth too, Jane.” He sighed, standing up when he heard the door opening. Thane emerged and he merely nodded at the drell, whispering something before walking out of her cabin. “By the way, congratulation on the engagement.” He raised his voice as the elevator door slowly shut.

The drell sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her sadly and she took a sharp intake of breath. “This was supposed to be a happy day for me, for us. Dammit.”

Thane shook his head lightly and placed one hand on her shoulder. “You have a tall responsibility ahead of you, siha. One that I trust you will be able to overcome.” He said comfortingly and she found himself believing his every word. “I...” He pursed his lips, hesitating before continuing. “I received a message from Kahje.”

“Yeah?” She looked at him intently. “Are they… are they under attack too?”

“No. Not at the moment, thankfully.” Thane said. “They are offering assistance. We might not have the number but the Compact trains some of the best assassins and soldiers. The facility has recently grown due to the diminishing number in slavers trying to capture us.”

“That's surprising. From what you told me, the hanar isn't exactly the most sharing type. What's with the change of heart?”

“I believe it was the drells' idea, as a sort of gratitude for rallying people to support our rights. They would like to fight for you, siha.” Thane explained calmly, hands moving to give her a massage on the shoulders.

She relaxed to his touch and let herself drown in his capable hands, feeling them untying the knots on her shoulders from all the combat. “They don't know what they're facing, and there's not a lot of you. However I don't have the liberty to really refuse any form of help. Ooh yeah, that's the spot.” She sighed when his thumb dug into the most sore area. “I'll set a route to Kahje after we check out this Prothean artefact.”

“But not before you are well-rested.” He added, this time running his hands down her spine to put pressure on it. Thane gently pushed her so she was lying on the bed all while massaging her.

As she drifted off to sleep, he could hear her humming and saying, “I want our marriage to be the biggest in the galaxy.”

“Yes, after you kick the reaper's sorry ass to oblivion and beyond, I believe?” The drell failed to suppress a chuckle.

“Stole the words right out of my mouth, sere Krios.”

**Thane Krios**

For the past few months Thane had been extremely agitated although he did well to conceal it from Shepard. Sure, she always gave him this look that showed him she wasn't entirely clueless but made no move to question it. He had been browsing on how to propose in human custom. He had some idea, of course. A trinket in the form of a ring is traditional and something about romantic atmosphere but he wanted to know for sure so he wouldn't embarrass himself.

He even asked Feron and the poor man became victim to his insecurity, his fear of being rejected by his siha. Although he had no doubt of her love for him, perhaps it was too soon, maybe she didn't want to pursue anything more concrete. But at the encouragement of Kolyat and Feron, he managed to get everything together. The gemstone he decided on was a native to the drell's planet, Rakhana. So he requested during one expedition to go there. Reminiscence was his excuse and Shepard gladly gave him that much. It wasn't difficult to find what he was looking for thanks to Feron's information regarding its location.

It was just a few weeks before she was incarcerated by the Alliance for going against their strict orders to _not_ go after the Collectors. He didn't understand their unreasonable decision. She fought and almost died to save thousands of captured humans but her effort wasn't acknowledged. So when she started screaming and arguing her case, he said nothing. Because she definitely didn't deserve this treatment.

Thane planned the actual proposal to be much more memorable than being on a merry-go-round after he threw up a few hours back. However, Shepard looked absolutely ecstatic that he couldn't stop himself from bending the knee and asking for her hand.

He was baffled and momentarily stunned when she accepted the selfish request. Thane had expected the worse when there was silence but boy, was he glad that his fear wasn't realised. It was extremely nerve-wrecking for him to boldly propose, something that he hadn't experienced for so long. And to be accepted? That was something else entirely.

After the news broke that Earth was under heavy attack by an unknown force that the crew of Normandy could clearly identify as reapers, he received a message from the hanar claiming that they would like to aid Shepard in any way they could. Of course they didn't have many ships or anything like that but they wanted to help and that alone was enough to instil a sense of patriotism in him.

“Dad?” Kolyat entered Shepard's cabin hesitantly. She was absent.

“Do you require something, Kolyat?” He asked when his meditation was interrupted.

“We're… heading to Kahje, right?” The boy asked nervously before taking a seat on the sofa near his father while looking away from him.

“Speak your mind, son.” Thane was fully aware of his discomfort, especially the subharmonic that rang from his throat.

“Can we maybe...” He stalled. “Hold a burial for mother? She… she wanted to go back to Kahje. She always told me that. I know I have nothing of hers and it seems pointless to mourn a pile of dirt without her remains, but I want to do this much for her.”

The addressed drell nodded in understanding and realised that he had never taken the chance to consider such necessity and he couldn't help feeling guilty. He was ashamed that his son had to be the one suggesting this idea, not him.

“Of course,” Thane sat upright with a small incline of his head and clasped his hands on his lap. “I apologise for not… well, seeming considerate enough of her. But trust me, Kolyat, I loved her and I will never forget her.”

“I know, dad. I know.” He murmured, almost mumbling his words. “But I can't help feeling like you've forgotten her. Like you've replaced her. Especially with you and Shepard, I… I don't know.”

“If it makes you feel better, I will withdraw my proposal. She will understand, I'm certain.” Thane said with heavy heart. He didn't want to look like he had stopped loving Irikah, especially not to Kolyat. He _adored_ her, he knew that much. And if his son wanted him to delay the wedding, then he would do it.

“Oh, no, no.” He immediately cut. “That's not what I was implying.” Kolyat took a deep breath and leaned against the sofa. “I should be feeling happy for you, but I can't shake off this horrible feeling. Shepard is a wonderful woman, but...” He looked at him. “She will _never_ be my mother. Not now, at least.”

The other drell regarded what he said with a small nod. What he was going through reminded him of the time when he was knee-deep in tu fira. When he felt like forming a relationship with Shepard was considered a dishonour to Irikah's memory. It wasn't something that could be overcame easily and nor could anyone help a great deal. “I understand, Kolyat. And I'm sorry I couldn't do more to protect the two of you.”

Kolyat bobbed his head down in acceptance. “It's… It's all for the best, dad. If she hadn't… if you hadn't… left, then you wouldn't have met Shepard. And the drell will still be treated like utter garbage. It's bitter, but I think this is the best outcome.” He sighed, eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I just wish mother's here...”

Thane took the boy in a warm, reassuring hug. Comparing to the time when he met him, he became so much more mature now and it was undoubtedly Shepard's and her friends' influence on him. There was no word that could express how proud he was of Kolyat.

“Thane! Thane!” A scream rang as the cabin door was open, snapping the two men back harshly into reality. “Thane, holy shit!”

“Siha, please calm down.” He came to a standing position at her erratic behaviour despite being a little panicked himself. “Is something the matter?”

“There's like—” She swallowed hard. “There's like _hundreds_ of drells down there near the LZ! How will I be able to deal with so many goggly eyes at once?!”

He shook his head lightly at her comment. It was no emergency, after all. However, it definitely seemed that way for her as she paced around the cabin, saying about how it was unfair that they got the large eyes and how she had weakness for them.

“Commander, we're landing now. Please don't wet your pants seeing so many Thane. What did you say again? 'Thanetalizing'?” Joker's laughter rang throughout the ship and she seemed like she was going to erupt and smash his face in the next time she saw him. Her face was beet red and Thane found himself chuckling.

“Oh, it's funny, isn't it?!” Shepard said frustratedly. “I'm going to punish him for extreme insubordination.”

“It's going to be just fine, siha.” Thane rubbed her back tenderly. “They're looking forward to meet you, I'm sure. There's no reason to be nervous.”

“Okay. Okay. Calm.” She took a deep breath and patted her chest. “Nah. I can't do it. Is my armour considered offensive?”

“No, siha.” He chuckled again at her obvious giddiness. And he wasn't sure how exactly she managed to not let all those show when they landed and when everyone started crowding her. Many of them thanked her for being a willing advocate for their rights and others looking at both Kolyat and him.

They walked inside the dome and Shepard soon was dragged by the hanar to talk about the extent of their support, leaving the two drells to their own devices. They didn't mind it since they had other plans. Kolyat had been silent the entire time as they made their way to the nearest burial site.

Once there, they asked permission to the hanar if they could perform a private burial which was approved within seconds. They personally created the gravestone, engraving what they thought was appropriate. Both of them had equal say in what should be there and had together placed it on the correct spot. Thane led the prayer and when they were done, they fell quiet for a few moment, undoubtedly falling into memories of Irikah, a wife and a mother.

“Thank you, father.” Kolyat whispered shakily as they walked away.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know it's been a while but I really really really want to finish this fanfiction. It feels a little weird leaving something unfinished.
> 
> I've started replaying Mass Effect again on top of my Andromeda playthrough and forgive me if I forget half of what's going on in this fanfiction as I'm still trying to get a bearing on everything again. Of course I've re-read all the chapters again but you know, sometimes it takes a bit to get in the zone again. So here's a short one for you. Sorry if it's a little boring or might not have the same amount of emotion as the previous chapters.
> 
> Cheers!

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard had an absolutely insane day. There seemed to be no shortage of drells that wanted to talk to her. Not that she didn’t appreciate it of course, but trying to balance doing whatever it was that she wanted to do and talking to them at the same time proved to be challenging. It didn’t help that Thane and Kolyat were nowhere to be seen.

She had a valuable conversation with the group of hanar that day regarding Kepral’s syndrome. She showed them the medicine that Mordin had developed in order to prevent the illness from metastasise like crazy, with his permission of course. The hanar gladly accepted the offer to study and perhaps help further the cure. She also put them in contact with Mordin and for a moment there she could see even the hanar being a little overwhelmed by the salarian doctor and hell if she could blame them.

Aside from that they also discussed about the Reaper threat that loomed across the galaxy. She never thought that the day would come where she’d sit down with pink floating tentacles usually featured on the cover of Fornax magazine to talk about alliance. Quite laughable if you ask her. Although still untouched, of course they were worried about an invasion as no one still had any data on how to effectively destroy the Reapers.

By night time she was crazy tired and could think of nothing but pass out on her bed when her omni-tool rang. She groaned as she checked who was calling her and interrupting her attempt to rest. It was a private caller and she gauged whether to pick it up or not until she decided to click the button, not making any endeavour to stand up. A screen appeared in front of her and there stood Feron.

“My little birdies told me that you are in Kahje right now, Shepard.”

As if on cue, Shepard’s whole body jerked up. “Feron! I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the longest time. Are you safe?”

“I am quite well, thank you,” A smile bloomed on his lips before it was replaced by something more sombre and serious. “But of course, no one is completely safe anymore. I heard everything that happened—Palaven and Earth.” He cut to the chase right away. “I also heard something brewing in Tuchanka.”

The Shadow Broker then proceeded to explain the whole situation about some political between Wrex and Wreav and the news about an immune, genophage-free female named “Eve”

“If the galaxy was to unite, this could be a vital piece of information that we needed.” Shepard wondered out loud after Feron had hung up and immediately contacted Mordin regarding the subject. The salarian doctor seemed excited at the news and informed that he would be coming on board as soon as he could.

Without realising it, it was morning already and Shepard realised she did not get even a blink of sleep as she tried to plan out the best and most effective course of action. Not for the first time, work had gotten the better of her and she neglected her daily needs.

“Siha,” Thane remarked calmly when he entered her cabin. “You didn’t get any sleep.” He added.

“What made you think that?” She chuckled awkwardly, trying to conceal the sudden fatigue that washed over her. “Well, doesn’t matter. We have to leave today.

“I concur. As we sit here accomplishing nothing, the Reaper are slowly gaining an upper hand.” The drell remarked calmly with his hands behind his back. “I saw Egil and Alon just then. They signed up to the Compact and asked if they could meet you.” He continued. “Seeing how you’re doing now, perhaps that would not be the wisest course of action. You need rest, siha.”

“A hello wouldn’t hurt, I suppose.” She sighed, slapping her hands on her knees and stood up to give Thane a light peck.

Shepard then briefly talked to Egil and Alon, who looked nothing like how they were a few years ago. They were now vibrant, brimming with energy and enthusiasm and she was almost jealous seeing it. She wished she was not so damn tired. Being in an army usually does that to the best of them.

Long story short, Shepard met Mordin at Sur’Kesh to retrieve Eve, a vital key to curing the genophage. Well, of course it was not without its complications—what even is anymore nowadays? Any mission without compromise would be a little odd for Shepard’s gang of misfits. She had to admit though, seeing Wrex threatening the salarian scientists proved to be quite amusing. It was nice to see him again after so long; she would say that it was worth the shooting and killing.

Mordin went ahead and examined Eve as they made their way to Tuchanka. With the data he compiled all those time, he said that it wouldn’t take him more than a couple of days to synthesise a cure that would be ready to dispersed through air. Wrex could hardly contain his excitement upon hearing the news although he did manage to do a good job at covering that emotion.

“Heard the news! Congratulation!” Mordin exclaimed upon seeing the commander entering the med-bay. “Good to see happiness amidst days like these!” He continued, referring to her and Thane’s engagement.

“Thanks, doc.” She threw an ear-splitting grin. “We will be landing soon. How’s the cure looking?”

“Ah, yes. Cure. Fantastic! Completed! Ready to be spread.” The salarian smiled. “Research into Kepral’s, fruitful. May be getting close to finding something.”

“You’re kidding!” The redhead immediately loosened her crossed arms and approached the doctor. “You’re saying that you almost… found a cure?”

“ _Closer._ Not close. _Closer._ Missing one vital information, just one information. Can’t find it anywhere, hanar knows nothing about it. More research needed, more experimentations, more samples!”

“Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help you, Mordin. I…” She stammered, “thank you. Thank you for doing this.”

“Favour for a dear friend, sating my own curiosity. For the better of the species.” The salarian gave her the signature thin smile of his, a smile that had really grown on Shepard. She felt a massive sense of gratitude that she met him when she did or Thane would be beyond help right now.

 _“Approaching Tuchanka, commander.”_ Joker’s voice became audible throughout the ship. The crew immediately prepared for landing as soon as they heard that, and so did Shepard.

Well. It was not easy. Definitely was not easy. Of course she expected some more complications along the way, but she didn’t think that the complication would come in the form of a hungry thresher maw rampaging and destroying their vehicles. It was a mighty good thing that no one was injured, but it still gave them that unwanted setback, something that they absolutely could not afford to have. The reapers weren’t waiting around as they navigate their way through tunnels and learn about mommy thresher maw that…

…Mommy thresher maw that might have destroyed a reaper.

She could hear a snapping noise near her and that was when she noticed Kolyat had taken a picture of the scene using his omni tool. “What?” He asked defensively when his father and Shepard frowned at him. “You don’t see this every day.”

“Make sure you send that to me, kiddo.” Garrus nudged the younger drell with his elbow.

“You two are beyond help.” Shepard shook her head although she couldn’t help but smile at the same time. Odd that it might be, it was a comforting sight, seeing her allies still being goofballs. “Never change.” She whispered under her breath, making sure no one could hear it.

They swiftly escorted Mordin to the tower where he would then disperse the cure from although things were looking grim for them. The tower was slowly crumbling into the ground due to the battle that it had seen.

“Mordin, you shouldn’t.” The commander hesitantly said. “There has to be another way of dispatching the cure… there has to be.”

“I concur. There is no reason for you to risk your life here, doctor.” Thane agreed with Shepard, followed with a firm nod from Kolyat. “Even though it would take longer, we should seek a better alternative.”

“No time!” The salarian exclaimed immediately, before turning around to face them. “My work, my responsibility.” He remarked calmly yet voice fuelled with courage and certainty. Without allowing any further objections, Mordin smiled thinly. “Would love to collect seashells. Perhaps other time. Pleasure meeting you, commander. All of you.”

**Thane Krios**

Thane decided not to disturb Shepard that day. Of course the thought of coming and keeping her company crossed his mind on more than one occasion, but after seeing how everyone seemed to want her ears, he opted to spend more time with his son instead. Kolyat had been silent after they left the grave and Thane understood the reason why. All he could offer was a comforting soft tap on his shoulder and a curt nod to show his empathy.

They didn’t exchange a word as they spar in one of the Compact training areas. The older drell could vividly see the frustration and emotion in each of Kolyat’s punches—frustration for not being strong enough to protect his mother. Thane knew all too well what that feeling of helplessness felt like. Irikah, Kolyat, Shepard. He had failed them at the same point.

“Why her, dad?” The younger of the two said softly, voice fuelled with bitterness and regret. “I don’t understand why it must be her.”

“There are a lot of things that are beyond our control, Kolyat.” He retorted calmly. “No matter how much power we wield, how many connections we have established, there are bound to be some elements that are simply beyond our understanding.” Thane continued while dodging and blocking his son’s thoughtless punching. “If she hadn’t died, if I hadn’t left, if we hadn’t been separated, none of this would have happened. Do not squint, Kolyat. There is always a bigger picture that we must see.”

“But it’s so painful…” He mumbled, the sorrow clear. “It’s so… permanent.”

“Remember that emotion,” Thane raised his voice slightly. “Remember the pain, Kolyat. Remember the permanence of death, remember how fickle a life is, how fragile and delicate it is. Do not squander the gift of living and you must not let sorrow overcome you. Be stronger; promise to not let the same happen again.” He finished, sending Kolyat to the ground and stopped his fist a few centimeters away from his face.

The younger drell failed to conceal his tears as he grabbed his father’s extended arms to get back up on his feet. He could feel Thane’s arms around him and he cried.

The assassin had thought that that would be the last time in a while that he would grief but he was wrong. Shepard, Garrus, Kolyat and himself sat unmoving in the Alliance shuttle, no words exchanged and no eyes off the ground. They had lost Mordin just like that. He had grown to be rather fond of the talkative salarian doctor but again it was hard to not like him.

As the shuttle came to a stop inside the Normandy, Thane gently touched Shepard’s hand and gave her a small smile which she returned. The crew quickly got up and went into the debriefing room.

“Siha,” He whispered her name gently when the area was clear of people. “It was not your fault.”

“I know, Thane.” The commander retorted shakily. “It’s kinda laughable don’t you think? I’m a soldier. I should be used to all this… death.”

“Even the best of fighter grieves. There is no shame in that. Emotion is a sign that we are alive.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “You have a tall responsibility ahead of you, siha. You must not let any feelings to bottle up. You are everyone’s rock; you have to remain strong.”

“I could’ve done it differently. I could’ve… persuade him to not do it. He wouldn’t have to go then.” She said remorsefully, helplessness clear in that usually stern voice of hers.

“I assure you siha, I understand what emotional trauma you must be experiencing this instant. Harsh as it may be, Mordin would not be satisfied if he let that one and only chance—his sole redemption to dissipate into thin air.”

The female quickly regained her composure after a series of breathing exercises and forced a smile on her chapped lips. “Of course you’re right, Thane.” She said. “You’ve always been the wiser one.” The drell chuckled lightly at the comment. “Let’s go. We have a galaxy to save.”

With a soft, comforting smile, Thane placed his hand on Shepard’s shoulder gently and said, “I will be right behind you, siha. Always.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Thane Krios**

Fighting the reaper was a long, exhausting journey that taxed him physically and mentally, and this came from someone whose job was to shoot at things that his commander told him to. As time went on he could see how all the deaths, all the fighting and politics started to wear Shepard down. She was forced to become the mediator for all the species and their petty arguments that for some reason they refuse to set aside even when death knocked on their front door.

She was no longer the siha that he knew—the one who would patiently bring everyone together, someone who would help anyone who asked her to the best of her ability. Thane could see that she wanted everything to be over. She no longer fools around with the crew or even laugh at Garrus’s snarkiness or Joker’s sarcasm. She became distant.

On more than one occasion he would suggest for her to take a break and unwind a little as everyone was concerned but all those times she would refuse and in turn work even harder than before. He could see how fatigue was plastered on her face and it wasn’t because of the constant sigh or how often she would stay up in favour of planning expeditions to push back the Reapers.

“Siha,” Thane whispered softly when he entered Shepard’s cabin to see her eyes glued on the datapad in her hands. “Siha?” Still no answer. “Jane!” This time he raised his voice a little and he could see her shoulders jolt slightly before turning to face him.

“Thane, you surprised me.” She placed the datapad on the night stand and watched her fiancée sit down next to her. “I was just reading a report regarding the Crucible.”

The drell said nothing as he rounded his arm around Shepard’s back and resting his hand on her waist. “We will be landing at Citadel soon. I insist that you rest, siha. You have not had a good rest in a while and I fear that it will cost you.”

“The reapers aren’t sleeping.” She mumbled, leaning her head on the male’s shoulder. “The fate of the whole galaxy is in my hands, Thane. It’s a huge responsibility and I can’t afford to close my eyes for even one second.”

“Siha, I love you but I am very close to knocking you out.” He joked and thankfully was greeted with a thin smile and soft laughter. “We have a few hours before we land on Citadel and I want you to get some rest.”

There were no objections, surprisingly. Perhaps she was too tired to complain and he was glad for that. Seeing her calm sleeping face took a lot of weight from his shoulders—god knows how long it had been since he saw it. Thane gently stroke Shepard’s red hair with his webbed fingers, slowly getting accustomed to the texture and sensation of it. He learned that most human liked having their hair stroked.

The ship shook lightly, waking the commander up just in time to hear Joker announcing that they were approaching Citadel. However, something was amiss. When they learned what it was, Shepard was enraged. She took Thane and Kolyat down with her, sending Garrus with Tali and Vega to search and rescue any civilians they could find.

“We need to get to the Council before these Cerberus bastards could,” Shepard swore as she ran as fast as she could to catch up with them, both drells following closely behind. Kolyat had really grown as a soldier; although still refusing to handle any sort of guns, his tech still developed rapidly. Thanks to Kasumi now he could cloak and render himself invisible to most foes. It helped him to program his drones more sophisticatedly so they could perform at their best.

“Shepard,” Thane interrupted them and stopped running, followed by the other two. “We should split up. We will never find them at this rate.”

“Kolyat, you go with Thane.” She immediately ordered and any attempt to object died inside Thane’s throat. He knew that there was no time to argue so he nodded, silently telling Shepard to stay safe and not be reckless.

“Dad, you sure you should leave Shepard alone? Wouldn’t it be better for you or me to stay with her?” The younger drell asked, slightly panting. Thane noticed the slight fatigue and he understood. Kolyat might have a much deeper stamina pool compared to the first time the commander found him but it could, by no mean, compare to his. It didn’t help that he was running on one lung now.

“It was unwise. She is not yet well-rested but we had no time to argue. Cerberus is already one step ahead of us and we have to close that gap.” Thane responded calmly. “Kolyat, I sense someone.” He stopped in front of a door and unlocked it softly as the younger drell shimmered away from plain view.

Thane treaded forward carefully, trying to not make as much as a footstep noise. He had his hands gripped tightly on the Carnifex while chanting a prayer to Arashu in his head. In the other corner of the room he could somehow see Kolyat, cloaked, fingers hovering above his omnitool.

"Over here!" Came a voice from under the desk and both drells immediately glanced below the large metallic desk to see the salarian councillor's sorry attempt at hiding. Seeing a friendly face, he decided to loosen his grip on the gun, but then something unexpected happen.

Thane sensed a presence behind him and with agility he ducked, barely avoiding a flat dagger. He could hear the salarian screamed like a little girl and cowered once more under the desk.

"Dad!" Kolyat shouted in reflex, giving away his position. Realising that he had made a terrible mistake, he quickly summoned an assault drone that made its way to the councillor in order to protect him.

The assassin's onyx eyes scanned the room to spot their assailant and before three seconds could pass he saw a glimmer next to Kolyat and he aimed. The bullet scraped the opponent and he revealed himself—a human, jet black hair that was complemented with tight black uniform.

 _"Cerberus,"_ Thane whispered to himself as the man charged towards him with speed that almost parallel his. Keyword: almost. He easily avoided a punch that the man threw, reciprocating the move by sidestepping and drawing his arm back.

"Thane!!" Came the familiar female voice from above the level and the drell was momentarily distracted by Shepard's presence. She was also occupied with Cerberus troops—she was alone and severely outnumbered. He could spot some new scratches on her N7 armour that wasn't there previously. Had she been well-rested and fully awake he wouldn't worry so much about her and perhaps could've avoided the sharp pain that he suddenly felt on his right leg.

The assailant's blade made a deep gash and he had to do his best to ignore the pain as he jumped away and exerted pressure on his left leg as to not make the wound any worse. Thane could see the man in black charged straight right at him only to stagger and lose his balance. When he realised what was happening, he could see a slight shimmer in his vision—Kolyat.

His son landed an unceremonious kick right on the man's jaw with his drone spraying bullet that managed to deal solid chunk of damage onto his barrier. Thane couldn't help a laugh from escaping his lips when he saw the sight.

"You're not escaping!" Kolyat exclaimed, not letting him get onto his feet. "Dad, help Shepard!"

Conflicted over what to do, he glanced once more at the window to see his siha struggling to keep the enemies off. He had to leave this one to his son, hoping that Arashu was at his side. Ignoring the sting he felt on his leg, he made his way towards the commander, finishing off the enemies and ran back towards Kolyat.

He was slumped on the ground, blood spilling from the side of his stomach.

“Sorry dad, I ended up letting him go.” The younger drell said apologetically and Thane shook his head.

“Are you alright, son?" He panicked, Shepard was behind him, sharing the same concerned expression.

"It's not that bad of a wound." Kolyat lifted the hand covering it.

"It's deep," Thane muttered after inspecting the wound. "We should inform Professor Solus—" He stopped dead in his track. "We need to get him medical attention to avoid further blood loss."

"You... you saved my life." The salarian councillor appeared from under the table, looking somewhat surprised. "You're the drells that are with Commander Shepard." Soon after, his head turned to face the addressed female who had her arms crossed. "Thank you, commander. And you two of course. I won't forget this."

"Save it for later," She said, voice a little bit bitter. Shepard never liked any of the councillors and Thane understood. He had not actually seen them accomplish anything.

It was no easy task, reaching the remaining councillors. In the end though, they successfully completed the mission, found out that Udina was behind the planned coup and survived to see another day. Thane never liked Udina. He was one of the more despicable humans and all he did he did to benefit himself unlike Shepard and the rest of her crew.

Gradually, others no longer eye him or Kolyat with resentment anymore. The whole situation with drell slavery had calmed down significantly, leaving a lot of the slavers abandoning their jobs and looked at something else. Of course, it had yet to stop completely but he was certain that with time, all will be well. It was a monumental moment for his people and he had no clue how to thank the commander aside from staying by her side as long as his lung could carry him.

He still did his daily check-ups with the Normandy’s doctor, Doctor Chakwas. Although the Kepral’s cells did slow down, she could slowly start to see a little bit of regrowth. If left alone, she feared that those cells would adjust to the treatment Mordin provided him with and once more metastasise at an alarming rate. Thane convinced Doctor Chakwas to keep the matter quiet from Shepard. She had enough to worry about.

“Dad…” Kolyat approached the older drell with a concerned expression in the life support. “I… I overheard your conversation with the doctor.”

Thane took a deep breath, knowing that it was bound to happen sooner or later. He had also wanted to keep Kolyat out of it since he didn’t wish to have anyone worrying about his health in the middle of apocalypse. “Have a seat, Kolyat.”

The teal-coloured drell pulled out the chair in front of his dad and sat down. “Will you be okay?”

“It is not for me to decide,” He replied, voice pensive. “The cure is well on its way but progressing slowly. Please do not worry about me, my son.”

“Easier said than done,” Kolyat muttered. “Shepard is going to be so upset when she heard that you’ve been keeping this from her. I mean, I get it—you’re just trying to spare her from more stuff to think about, but…”

“I am not planning to give up,” He said firmly. “I am thinking of going back to the Citadel to receive a proper, better treatment than what the Normandy can cater right now. If I am able to convince Jane to take a break and unwind, I might be able to slip by unnoticed.”

“I’ll help you to convince her. She’s not exactly pumped by the idea of relaxing right now. We should get the rest of the crew to gang up on her too.”

Thane chuckled lightly at his son’s enthusiasm to help and nodded. “Thank you, Kolyat.”

**Jane Shepard**

Shepard noticed that her fiancé had been spending an awful lot of time in the life support room lately instead of her cabin. He claimed that he wished to be alone with his thought and to not distract Shepard from the large quantity of private calls that she had to answer. She didn’t believe him, duh. Thane might have thought that she was far too busy and invested in the whole Reaper bullshit that she forgot to think about his Kepral’s. She assumed that he was trying his best to keep her out of it but trying to slow down the regrowth, somehow.

She appreciated the thought, of course, so she didn’t say a word to Thane about it; but she understood that in the future it was something that they had to discuss.

Shepard was tired—no, that was an understatement. She just wanted to crawl and die. The responsibility for the whole galaxy rested on her shoulders and she was overwhelmed. She no longer took shit from anyone who played games and dillydally around. A strong face was something that she understood she had to maintain—she had to feign patience and perseverance for the sake of morale but when no one looked her way, she breaks. She was so fucking _exhausted_. She wished someone else could take her shoes and she could just sit in Citadel with eyes glued to the screen, waiting for any updates on the invasion.

Burying her head in her crossed arms on the table next to the private terminal, she sighed and felt her eyes slowly tearing up. Stupid fucking politicians who refused to make any peace even during days as dark as these, more defeat throughout the galaxy as the Reapers decimated their troops, a fiancé who was slowly dying. She wasn’t sure what to think about as tears pooled her eyes and a whimper escaped from her throat. There were so much to do but she was only one woman, and the galaxy somehow managed to keep piling up work after work for her.

Her sobs grew louder as she let more of her emotion spill, letting the luminescent blue interior lighting to embrace her. Amidst all of the tears, she noticed the door being opened and she quickly wiped them off and took a deep breath even though she knew the uninvited guest would find out anyways.

Kolyat looked at her, eyes blank. “S-Shepard…” He shifted awkwardly.

“Never thought you’d see me cry, huh?” She laughed humourlessly, eyes still red. “Contrary to the popular belief, the great commander Shepard is only one human.”

The drell said nothing as he walked towards her, sighing. “I can only imagine what you’re going through.” He mumbled. “I… can’t offer you any word of comfort or anything. I’m not suave like dad.” Kolyat continued and placed his hand on her shoulder before hesitantly pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry. You deserve a break.”

Shepard felt the warmth radiating from his body and she closed her eyes before saying three simple word, “I actually do.”

“Well, what do you say we all go to Citadel and have a little shore leave?” He offered, pulling away from the hug. “I think everyone needs it. The tension’s been above the roof.” At Shepard’s thoughtful look, he put on his best puppy-face look. “Just for one day… please? Shepard? Please?”

“Oh my god,” The commander cursed internally. “Yeah, yeah whatever. Fine. You arrange it.”

“Awesome!” The kid couldn’t change his expression fast enough as he jumped and ran outside to announce it to everyone. Shepard couldn’t help a smile from growing on her face. The boy had come so far from the drell who refused to trust his father anyone to an absolute delight. She could tell the Normandy crews also loved him. He had this… quality of a teenager, but not in a bad sense. Unlike his father, Kolyat is awkward and speech not refined. He says whatever it was on his mind without thinking about the consequences first, he gets shy easily and would stutter when it happens.

News travelled quick and the day after, Shepard found herself in Citadel, heading straight to her big-ass-fucking apartment that Anderson gave her with about fifteen other people trailing after her. She just hoped that everything would still be intact by the end of the day.

Everyone came; even Zaeed, Jack, Miranda, Kasumi and Wrex. She also had the Shadow Broker himself and even the hardass Prothean buddy of hers, Javik tagged along. It was mayhem all around. Drinks spilled, food dropped, items broken and nerf guns drawn. Ah, yes. Nerf guns. It was quite the sight to see a renowned mercenary, master assassin, leader of clan Urdnot, the perfect Krogan and a Prothean joining in on the fun with ridiculously bright-coloured plastic imitation guns in hands.

“And… and then Shepard punched him right in the jaw… that was the funniest thing, like, _ever._ ” She heard the distinct voice of Kolyat, slurred and unclear. When she turned around to face him, he was holding an empty bottle of alcohol.

“Dude, Kolyat! Are you even allowed to drink?!” She snatched the bottle away. “You’re smashed!”

“Oh, I don’t know Shepard. I think we should leave him. It’s pretty entertaining.” Kasumi smiled mischievously like she always does. “The embarrassing Shepard stories are a bonus.”

“That’s it, young man. You’re not drinking a drop more!” The commander’s face turned beet red as she put on her best mom voice.

“You wouddn’t do dat to me, Shep…” The boy laughed unevenly before passing out on the sofa.

"It's like... 4PM. I don't want to know what’s gonna happen comes 10PM." She shuddered at the thought.

“We can always go to Silver Coast Casino if you’re looking for something else to destroy.” Kasumi half-joked, followed by a smile. “Maybe dress you up too.”

“No, you’re not dressing me up, Kasumi.” Shepard crossed her arms.

“Ooh did someone say dressing someone up?” Tali who was slumped on the bar table after drinking a fair amount of alcohol suddenly commented. “I want to dress up Kolyat!” She stammered, clearly not thinking straight.

“Yeah… I don’t think he’d be very keen on that idea.” The commander sighed, looking around at her surroundings. “Is there anyone here who’s still sober?” She screamed out after seeing Javik tripping on his foot.

“Krogans don’t get drunk like puny humans!” Wrex shouted as he punched his palm.

“You should not underestimate my alcohol tolerance level, siha…” Thane muttered, almost tripping on his own foot. He was clearly tipsy.

“Real charming, Thane. Real charming.” After seeing what happened in her unit already, she decided to take a deep breath. “Alright you misfits! Let’s move to the casino!”

“I want to play blackjack. Or poker. Do you think they have poker here?” Kaidan chirped enthusiastically as he followed everyone out of the apartment.

“We should play some poker,” Vega nodded along before glancing at Shepard. “We _all_ should play poker.”

“I don’t wanna get poked. It’s annoying.” Grunt, well, grunted—obviously not understanding the concept of the game.

“No one’s gonna get poked, Grunt.” Shepard replied, trying her best to give the krogan a pat on the head but failed since he was a lot taller than she was.

When the Normandy crew walked into the bar, they garnered a lot of attention. Everyone stopped whatever it was that they were doing to stare at the intimidating bunch. There were _two_ krogans with them on each side, an unknown alien species with four eyes, an excessively muscular human male, a veteran mercenary with only one eye and of course, their commander, the one and only Commander Shepard, right in the middle.

“Alright, kids!” She raised her voice to get her team’s full attention. “No breaking anything you hear me?!”

“Loud and clear, siha.” Thane was the only one who answered her as everyone scattered to different directions, leaving only a few behind. Shepard just _knew_ that she would have a lot to pay for by the end of the day. She just hoped that any damage would, dear god, _hopefully_ be minimal.

“So… poker?” Vega whipped out a set of cards out of nowhere. They made their way to the nearest table, followed closely by Kaidan, Kelly, Joker, Thane and Kolyat.

They taught the drells how to play although Kolyat was out of action. He was momentarily awake for the trip to the casino but ended up passing out on the sofa, head resting on Thane’s shoulder. Shepard could see a smile blooming on the drell’s lips and she knew that even now, he still appreciated the boy and loved him unconditionally.

Shepard wouldn’t have expected Kelly to be winning the game. She totally _dominated_ everyone. It was the seventh game and she had not yet secured a victory even when Thane, a complete newbie won once. Well, alright, poker had never been her forte. But surely a good hand would come around right?

Her train of thought was disrupted when she heard a loud bellow from the other side of the casino and boy, she was terrified when she noticed that she knew whose voice it was. Wrex and Grunt. At the same time, she heard Zaeed’s and Javik’s way-too-loud yell coming from the bar. She quickly charged towards them and screamed equally loudly in order to make them shut up. The guards clearly looked way too terrified to handle two krogans, a self-claimed prothean and a veteran mercenary with full armour.

Well however, long story short, they got kicked out of the casino. Wasn’t exactly unexpected but she thought it would happen a little bit later.

“They cheated, Shepard! They cheated!” Wrex grumbled.

“I saw it. I punched the man right in the face. It was satisfying.” Grunt’s rough voice followed.

“The bartender refused to give me any more drinks. Said I was too drunk already!” Zaeed complained.

“Don’t give a shit. You guys aren’t allowed near a casino ever again.” The commander crossed her arms, giving her kids the best mommy look she could do.

“What are you gonna do, ground us?” The mercenary snorted, only to be greeted by Shepard’s sharp, furious eyes.

“I won’t bail you out if you fuck something up again next.”

Everyone soon separated and the only ones who remained were Thane with a sleeping Kolyat draped around his shoulder, Feron, Garrus, Javik and Tali.

“Well, it has been a pleasure seeing you again, Shepard. I’m happy you’re taking the time to relax even though your crews are still giving you a hell of a tough time.” Feron regarded the commander before giving her a quick hug.

“Sure you can’t stay for the afterparty?” She chuckled after seeing his desperate shake of head. “What’s wrong, big boy? Don’t tell me you’re scared already after seeing what happened?”

The two exchanged loud laughter. “Yeah, I don’t think I want to be there for the second-hand embarrassment when they destroy anything else in the Citadel.” He smiled. “Shepard, I will keep monitoring the Reaper activity across the galaxy and send any information I have right to your terminal so you have a rough idea of where to concentrate your forces.”

Both of them could hear a soft intentional cough from behind them. “No business, please.” Thane started.

“Right, sorry.” Feron grinned apologetically. “Well, I’d better get going. I’ll see you soon, hopefully. Stay alive.”

“If I don’t, who’ll take care of those kids?” With that, they shared a final chuckle and Feron left. “So whaddya say we put Kolyat in the apartment? Garrus, Tali and Javik will be borrowing some rooms so we’ll probably have to dump him in our room if there’s no spare ones.”

“Of course,” Thane gave her his signature head-tilt that she still find very charming. “How are you feeling, siha?”

The female took a deep breath and let it all out in one go, giving Thane a smile that was brimming with joy. “I’m actually really happy I decided to do this, although the prospect of having to go back into serious mode is kinda unsavoury.”

“Your focus will be at its peak once more. I have no doubt that the Reapers will be rather intimidated.” Thane kept a smile, slightly shifting to re-adjust Kolyat’s position on his shoulder. “However, I do believe that this will boost the crews’ morale.”

“Yeah, we need everyone at their best at times like this.” Shepard agreed and both of them walked back to the apartment in silence. It was quite nice, the lack of noise. They looked ahead at the night sky, feeling the breeze caressing their skins and somehow, Shepard’s worries just melt away. She had been looking for words to ask Thane about his Kepral’s. Yes, she was afraid that he would confirm what she suspected, so she kept it silent, but at the same time she also understood that nothing would change if they didn’t talk about it.

After they lay Kolyat on the bed in a spare bedroom and looked at his calm sleeping face, they moved to a theirs and she opened her mouth when the door was closed slightly.

“Thane, I know that you were worried about me so you told me to have a shore leave. But I just want you to know that I understand completely what’s going on with you without you having to say anything.” She muttered, pulling him to sit on the bedside with her.

The drell seemed to be at a loss as no response was made and his shoulders tensed slightly at the confession. However, moments later, he relaxed. “I see,” He sighed. “Are you disappointed at me for not informing you, siha?”

“No, I’m not. I know you only wanted what’s best for me. I’ve had enough on my plate and you didn’t want to add to it.” Shepard scooted over to grasp Thane’s hand. “The reason why I didn’t discuss it further after, well… Mordin, was because I was scared, Thane.” She hung her head down, not wanting to look at him. “I just couldn’t handle the thought of losing you to some illness. Still can’t even now.”

“All life must pass eventually—some sooner than later. We have done our part, and if my illness was not meant to be cured, then there is no point agonising over it.” The drell moved closer to the commander and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “You have done a tremendous favour for my people, siha. The data for the cure for Kepral’s will benefit other drells in the future. Nothing you have done is a waste.”

Shepard swallowed thickly. Thane was right, of course. He was always right, always the wiser one between the two and could always think level-headedly even in a desperate situation. “I wish I could be more like you.”

The corner of Thane’s lips rose and he commented, “You wish to be slowly dying right now, siha?”

The commander chuckled lightly and elbowed him on the waist gently. “Asshole.”

 “Siha, you are doing the best you can for everyone. However, you will not be here if you used logic instead of instinct. That attack on the Collector’s base? A sane person would not even attempt that. Right now is where your instinct is needed the most. Just leave everything else to us. We will do everything in our power to ensure that we are able to support you.”

“Why does it have to be me, Thane?” Shepard muttered, voice so soft and fragile like it was about to break. “The Reapers are decimating all of our troops, but somehow everyone expects me to go and play hero.”

“It pains me that you are in such difficult position, siha. I, too, also wish that we were only the background characters in someone else’s story. I fear that there are no words that I can offer to ease any of the pressure you are feeling.”

Shepard took a deep breath and raised her face to gaze into Thane’s deep, dark eyes. “Promise you won’t leave me.”

“I promise, siha. I will stand by you as long as I am alive.” He leaned in to engulf her lips in a gentle kiss, one hand making its way to stroke her hair lovingly and the other to support him as he pushed her down onto the bed. Thane could clearly hear Shepard’s heartbeat as their bodies piled on top of each other; he could feel her breasts against his chest and hot gasp against his lips.

Although no words were exchanged, both understood that there was no need for one as they undressed each other slowly, savouring every moment of it as if it would soon disappear as a one night passion—They refused to let go of each other or part for even a fraction of a second.

As Thane inserted himself into Shepard, cries of pleasure echoed inside the room. She felt safe in his embrace, she felt loved when he was with her and when they were together, she felt that she could accomplish even the most impossible of feat. He was her restraint; a safety belt that held her together and one, the logical and sensible part of her that would always be there to keep her from harm.

And she knew that she was his rock, the one keeping his hopes alive when all seemed to leave, the unparalleled wave in a stormy ocean that pushed him to think outside the box and to accomplish greater things. The voice that kept him alive. Who knew that she would find comfort in the arms of a drell, of all people?

When she opened her eyes once more the day after, she would once again fight to defend the galaxy, to protect the people who had once mock her. But defeating the Reapers would restore peace, and she badly needed it. She wanted to spend more time with Thane, with Kolyat, with the friends that she made throughout the journey. She would fight to no end to keep them safe, and for her, that is a reason as good as any.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to finish this fanfic but it's just so hard... Well, I managed to at last. It's not as intense as I'd like it to be, but I'm pretty happy with the ending.  
> Thank you for sticking with the story thus far, and I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter :)
> 
> Until next time!

Shepard woke up in a bed of her own sweat, not realising how loud she screamed until she saw the look at Thane was giving her—half concerned, half surprised at the sudden awakening of his fiancé. She put a hand on her forehead, it was throbbing like crazy, like something was threatening to pop out at any given moment.

It somewhat numbed when she felt the familiar hand rubbing her gently on the shoulder and down her spine. Taking a deep breath as if to reassure herself that everything was okay, she gave Thane a small smile of appreciation.

“Thanks, bad boy.” Said Shepard while brushing off some hair off her forehead.

“Bad dream, siha?” Thane noted the look of disconcertion on his commander’s face. It never ceased to fascinate him how much emotion human could express by look alone.

“Something like that. This whole reaper business must’ve gotten to me more than I’d like it to.” She scoffed before grabbing the glass of clear water resting on the bedside table and took one large gulp. “Can’t wait for it to be over.”

“Likewise.” Thane nodded in resignation. The situation seemed grim, indeed, but he refused to let any such pessimistic thought show and demoralise the commander. She knew just how bad it was out there, and he didn’t want to add to her concern. “Let’s go back to sleep, siha. You need all the rest you can get.”

“Yeah.” Shepard agreed as she sighed and put her head on the pillow once more. That dream had been haunting her ever since she left Earth last week. That strange boy who she had failed to save. Was there any meaning behind it? Or was she simply going insane? She wasn’t sure anymore. Thane wasn’t able to see the boy that Shepard had seen, and that left a bad aftertaste. It couldn’t be just her imagination, could it?

Shepard closed her eyes, one hand crawling under the sheet to take Thane’s. His webbed fingers wrapped around hers, as if giving comfort and reassurance that everything was okay, she was okay. It was enough to return her to a deep slumber.

A few hours was all she needed to get back on her feet. Their first destination was Palaven. She needed to secure the support of turian military—they would become a valuable asset next to the Krogan, Hanar and Drell. Things were starting to look up for her, but she could not afford to lose her guard for even a second. The Salarians had refused to officially ally with them, but her proposal hadn’t been completely turned down. Some Salarian doctors and military had volunteered to help wherever they could, and that was enough for her to consider a win.

“Any news, Kryik?” Shepard stood in front of the galaxy map with her hands behind her. Garrus and Nihlus were leaning against the wall with their arms crossed, worry clear as day due to the way their mandibles seemed to tremble.

“They’re getting pushed back. We need to get there as soon as we can.”

“Kelly, any updates on the Crucible?”

“Construction is going smoothly, commander. The Drell engineers you dispatched are helping a lot.”

There was also the problem with Tali and the Quarian. With the rate in which the reaper is decimating everything, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to get an army going. She had no other choice but to keep going forward, however. It was too late to turn back.

.

It had not been easy, not by a long shot. There were a lot of sacrifices, but Shepard had somehow won the favour of the turian and quarian as well as asari. Now, she felt like she was ready. Well, as ready as you’d get anyways in the face of an invasion by giant ass robots that shoot laser beam.

There really was no rest for the wicked, she thought, as she watched every video and read every message directed to her inbox. There were way too many that she needed Kelly’s help to sort through them and show her the most important ones.

The dream of the boy had become a daily occurrence at that point. She no longer bats an eye to it when she woke up, but it never ceased to constrict her chest in the most uncomfortable way she could imagine. There was something wrong, and she knew it.

“Everything alright, siha?” Thane questioned when he saw her clutching her head for the hundredth time that day.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just tired, I guess.” Shepard murmured, not wanting to worry the drell. She looked at him with a weak smile and placed a kiss on his lips. “Really.”

Thane knew better than that, however. He watched her lie through her teeth in favour of moral. It was painful to watch, but there were no words that he could offer her that would take a part of her suffering away.

 _“Commander, we got a comm. Urgent.”_ Joker’s voice echoed through the PA. Shepard quickly made her way to the briefing room and he saw a hologram of Anderson.

“The reapers are here.” Was all he said, and that was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

“Joker, set course to Earth.” Shepard firmly announced through her omni-tool. She proceeded to write to the leaders of each race, telling them to prepare for battle. This was it. The endgame. She was more than happy to tackle it head on.

“Bring it on.” She whispered under her breath.

When Normandy landed on Earth, it was a mess. Cities had been torn in half and fire spreading in an alarming rate. Civilians had been evacuated and Shepard hoped that she would be able to save as many as she could. Beside her, her most trusty allies stood—Garrus, Thane and Tali.

“Let’s give them hell, Shepard.” The turian’s mandibles flickered challengingly. “I won’t forgive them for what they did to Palaven.”

“Ditto.” Shepard glared the monstrous machine down. “Let’s go, we have a galaxy to save!”

As if on cue, turian fleet flew over their heads, the perfectly calibrated guns focusing on one of the many reapers, the explosion the bullets caused created fireworks in the sky that Shepard would admire if only that it wasn’t a matter of life and death. Krogan land units roared their battle roar as they charged into the battlefield, decimating any enemy force they could find. Lurking in the shadows were drell assassins who only strike at a moment of opportunity, particularly focused on the backlines so the vanguards wouldn’t be able to receive any support once thinned out. Asari matriarchs joined in the fray on the other side with their blue biotic glow, and Shepard knew it was her time to move.

She nodded to the three behind her as she took a flank route underneath. She had to get to the crucible and it wouldn’t be an easy trek.

“Shepard, behind you!” Tali exclaimed and aimed at the husks charging towards them in a terrifying speed.

“Can’t we have one second of peace?” The commander cursed as she drew her assault rifle and threw a frag grenade.

They fought their way to the crucible’s portal, accompanied by turian and human fleet zooming past the team only to be blown up to smithereens. She couldn’t handle seeing it. In each of those aircraft, there was at least one person handling it.

Behind her, she heard a loud gasp and she turned her head without slowing down. However, she found it impossible as one second later, she found herself rooted to the ground. Blood was flowing from Thane’s left leg. He had been struck, and hard.

“Go, Shepard. Go!” Thane screamed out loud unlike his usual calm demeanour. “You have a galaxy to save.”

Knowing that there was no time to argue, she nodded and replied, “I’ll be back. I promise.”

.

Thane could hear an ear deafening explosion and instantly, he knew.

It was over.

It was over, yet there was a strange feeling that resided in his chest. Something just wasn’t right. He needed to know if Shepard was alive. However, with his foot’s current situation, he found it impossible to even crawl outside, let alone try to find out what was happening. His only hope was to wait for someone to come relay the news to him, the news that Shepard was alive and kicking.

However, when Kolyat entered the room with _the_ look on his face, his breath hitched. “She’s—Shepard—” When the boy didn’t say anything, Thane knew that the situation was a lot worse than he had imagined.

“The crucible, it’s—” He bit his lower lips, not know if it was a good idea or not to blurt the whole story to his father. He had been through enough, perhaps he should rest before hearing about the news. However, when he slowly shifted his eyes to look at Thane’s, he knew that he wouldn’t rest until Kolyat told him everything. “It’s a weapon of mass destruction.”

Not quite understanding what his son had meant by that, he tilted his head to the side. Thane didn’t say anything, however. If he had witnessed what sort of event had transpired outside, perhaps he needed a moment to regain some bearing.

“It’s a weapon of mass destruction to all synthetic.” He murmured under his breath, not sure how to word it differently.

Hearing that, Thane could feel his heart sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Shepard, his siha. He knew that her body was mostly synthetic. If the crucible really did decimate all robotic technology, then... he didn’t want to imagine what happened to her. He clenched the bedsheet covering him so tight he could feel his fingers digging into his palm.

“Dad, I don’t know what to say.” Kolyat’s eyes started to glisten with tears, and they dripped down his chin down to the ground.

Thane inhaled deeply and counted to three in his head, hoping to calm himself down. It was a tall order, but he _had_ to. The news was no less devastating to Kolyat. “You don’t have to say anything else.” He whispered. “Thank you, Kolyat.”

The younger drell slammed his fist against the rough concrete, hoping to replace the pain in his heart with something more physical. “I couldn’t do anything.”

Tried as he might, Thane was unable to conceal his feelings any longer. Tears started to fall. Not for the first time, he cursed his own helplessness. He cursed himself for not being able to help the one he loved. Why must the goddesses be so cruel? “I am sorry you have to experience this.” He managed to croak between the tears.

“It hurts, dad. She—” Kolyat’s gaze dropped to the ground. “When they found her, she was so lifeless. Her heart’s beating but it almost looked like she has no soul left.”

“Come here, Kolyat.” He patted the spot next to him and the boy approached him to sit beside his father. An arm wrapped around his shoulders as the tears continued to stream endlessly. Thane said nothing—he felt like there was nothing left for him to say. The damage had been done. The boy was scarred. All he could do was stand by him and try to support him to the best of his ability.

“I’m scared that she won’t ever be the same again.” The younger drell cried out in frustration and grief. “Dad... do you think she’s gonna get better?”

Unfortunately, he could not answer the boy’s question as he was asking the exact same question to himself. So, instead of speaking, Thane tightened the embrace and both of them spilled out their emotion.

.

It had been five years.

Thane couldn’t believe it had been that long since the reapers were destroyed from the galaxy, along with any geth and synthetics. He stood in front of the window overlooking the new Citadel. Everyone from different race worked together to rebuild, There was still trace of destruction left, but he was sure than within a few years, those evidence would surely disappear, leaving it a story for the history books.

Kolyat was accepted to work for the C-sec a couple of years ago, and everything was calm in the politic side. The tension after the whole reaper thing was still sky high, but so was the relief. Everyone seemed to set aside their differences in favour of working together to have their lives together once more.

There had been a massive shift for the drell. It was as if the timebombs attached to their hearts had stopped and is now ticking backwards. Their help in the battle and construction of the Crucible had been recognised and a law banning slavery had been passed. It would take a while for everyone else to get used to treating them as equal on the street, but it was an excellent start. It was more than he could ever hope for.

He walked towards the living room and opened one of the drawers located next to the large black TV to grab a small packet of transparent white fluid and walked back to where he originally was. He carefully removed the existing packet hanging on the slim metal pole and replaced it with the new one on his hands.

“Here you go, siha.” He smiled and crouched just enough so he on eye-level with Shepard. He placed one hand on her hand and could feel it trembling ever so slightly. “Shall we go out?” Thane landed a soft kiss on her forehead as he navigated around her and grabbed the handle of the wheelchair.

.

It had been ten years.

Life went on and so did Thane. Kolyat found himself a wonderful asari girlfriend and it made him smile when he introduced her to him and Shepard. Elena, he learned her name was, had been so surprised to see Commander Jane Shepard, the legendary hero who saved the galaxy sitting on a wheelchair in front of her. She cried and cried, and wouldn’t stop. She told her that her parents and friends were alive all because of her.

Thane had stood by her, hand on her shoulder, silently telling her that she had made all the difference in people’s lives, and that she should be so proud of herself.

.

It had been fifteen years.

Thane went in and out of the Citade’s med-bay in order to get proper treatment for Kepral’s. It was still there, but cancerous cells mostly supressed so it wasn’t able to spread anymore. There had been a lot more research being done in order to free drell from the deadly terminal illness. Hanar and salarian worked together to find a cure. It was a sight that never ceased to warm Thane’s heart.

Kolyat was doing fine. He was still with Elena and had said that he wanted to take things to the next level. Thane had given him his blessing, telling him how proud he was of him and how he wanted him to be happy.

Shepard was elated too, Thane could feel it. He had been increasingly proficient at reading what each shiver of finger meant.

.

It had been twenty years.

Kolyat brought his 3 years old son into Shepard and Thane’s apartment. He was such a bundle of joy. Thane enjoyed playing with him and would occasionally place him on Shepard’s lap. She had never been too fond of kids, but he was certain that she would love to handle Kolyat’s son.

And he was right. He could almost see the smile forming on Shepard’s unmoving lips, and tears threatened to flow from those dry eyes of hers.

.

It had been twenty-five years.

As Thane laid on his bed, he could feel that it was getting increasingly harder for him to breathe. The trip to med-bay had become a daily thing and he could no longer walk as far as he used to with Shepard’s wheelchair. He would apologise for her for not being able to take her anywhere anymore, but he knew that she understood and didn’t mind. She had always been understanding.

.

It had been thirty years.

Even as he coughed and heaved, his hand wouldn’t leave Shepard’s. Next to him, Kolyat watched with his eyes glistening with tears, and so did Elena and their son. Thane was running short on time, he realised, as he looked at the family accompanying him and smiled. He was glad that Kolyat found his own happiness.

Shepard stopped breathing not long after Thane did, and together they reached the shore.


End file.
